Alpaca vs. Llama. Like Alien vs. Predator, but different.

If you're anything like me, you occasionally walk into petting zoo to look at a furry, four legged, long-necked animal only to wonder if it's a llama or an alpaca.  In order to combat my alpaca ignorance, my llama cluelessness; I present Alpaca vs. Llama:

ALPACA:

Scientific Name: Vicugna pacos

Continent of Origin: South America

Height: up to 3 feet from feet to shoulders

Weight: 100-175 lbs.

Life span: 20-25 years

Fiber production: 5-8 lbs. annually

LLAMA:

Scientific Name: Lama glama

Continent of Origin: South America

Height: up to 4 feet from feet to shoulders

Weight: 250-450 lbs.

Life span: 15-25 years

Fiber production: 5-10 lbs. annually, but guard hair must be removed for spinning.

That wasn't nearly as helpful as I was hoping it would be.  They look very similar.  They come from the same place.  They are both related to camels.  They are both raised for fiber or livestock.  The only real differences are size and fiber quality.  So.  If you walk into a petting zoo and see a very large, furry, four legged, long-necked animal, chances are it's a llama.  If you see a much smaller furry, four legged, long-necked animal, chances are it's an alpaca (or a baby llama).  Upon closer inspection, if you see guard hairs mixed in with the fleece, it's a llama.  But if there is only soft, fleecy goodness, it's an alpaca.

Clear as mud?  I thought so.