Llamas and alpacas are often mistaken for the same animal, and the confusion is understandable. Alpacas and llamas are so similar because they are both part of the camelid family, which includes camels, their cousins in the eastern hemisphere.
These domesticated western camelids evolved in South America’s Andes mountains in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, so they developed many similar adaptations to their cold, harsh environment. But these two species actually have several different physical characteristics and personalities that are unique to them – one is sweet-tempered and the other can be a little salty, so you’ll want to be able to tell the difference in case you ever meet one of these fascinating creatures.