A Glossary of Common Alpaca Terms

Agist: when a person owns an alpaca and boards it at another location

Apron: a section of fiber under the alpaca's neck

Blanket: the highest quality fleece which begins at the shoulder, runs the full length of the back and down each side

Broadside: a rigid stance with tail held high, ears pinned back and nose tilted upward; an act of intimidation

Cria: an alpaca less than 1 year old

Crimp: the natural waviness of huacaya alpaca fiber, which gives it a natural resilience and elasticity.

Dam: a female parent

Fineness: a measure, in microns, of the diameter of individual fibers

Flehmen: the behavior of the male alpaca where he sniffs a dung pile, tilts his head to a vertical position and inhales loudly, often curling his upper lip; used to determine if a female alpaca is open for breeding;

Handle: the way the fiber feels when touched

Herd Sire: a male alpaca that is part of the breeding stock

Huacaya: a type of alpaca with fine fiber and a wooly appearance

Kushing: seated upright on their sternum with all four legs folded up underneath their body

Orgling: a melodious expiratory sound made by males during breeding and during the “sexual chase”

Pedigree: a recorded list or genealogy of an alpaca's ancestors

Progeny: descendants of an individual

Settle: a term that describes a male alpaca's ability to breed a female

Sire: a male parent

Standoff: sometimes called a stare-off; two animals stand rigidly within a few feet of each other with their ears pressed back, neck fully extended, head tilted upward and tail elevated; a sign of aggression

Stotting: graceful antelope-like leaps in which all four legs leave the ground simultaneously

Suri: a type of alpaca with tightly-wound fiber that looks like dreadlocks

Top Knot: the hair on top of the head

Tui: an eighteen-month-old alpaca

Weanling: an alpaca no longer nursing up to 1 year old

Yearling: an alpaca 1 to 2 years old