What South American mammal resembles a small llama?

The South American mammal that resembles a small llama is the alpaca.

Alpacas are domesticated camelids native to the high Andes, particularly Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile. They are smaller and generally more heavily fleeced than llamas, and people have traditionally raised them primarily for their exceptionally soft fiber rather than as pack animals. Their fleece is used in clothing, blankets, and other woven goods.

There are two recognized alpaca types: the Huacaya, whose fiber is dense and crimped, and the Suri, whose longer fiber hangs in silky locks. Alpacas live in herds and are well adapted to cold, high-altitude grasslands.

A common mix-up is assuming that alpacas are simply baby llamas. They are separate domesticated species. Genetic research presented in 2001 showed that the alpaca’s wild ancestor is the vicuña, while the llama descends primarily from the guanaco. Alpacas and llamas are closely related, however, and belong to the same South American camelid group as vicuñas and guanacos.