Colored Alpacas

There are 22 recognized coat colors and patterns by which alpacas are judged in halter and fleece show competitions. Sixteen colors are solid colors, and six colors are non-solid colors and patterns. In reality, however, there are many more colors. For example, there are many colors that fall between light fawn and medium fawn, and between medium fawn and dark fawn, and so on. The Alpaca Registry, Inc. (ARI) sells a color chart that you can use to determine your animal's coat color.

16 Solid Colors

The sixteen solid colors are:

• Lights: 1 white, 2 beige
• Fawns: 3 light fawn, 4 medium fawn, 5 dark fawn
• Browns: 6 light brown, 7 medium brown, 8 dark brown
• Darks: 9 bay black, 10 true black
• Silver grays: 11 light silver, 12 medium silver, 13 dark silver
• Rose grays: 14 light rose, 15 medium rose, 16 dark rose

Six Non-Solid Colors and Patterns

In addition to solid colors, some alpacas also may exhibit non-solid colors and patterns. AOBA recognizes six categories of "colors" for the purpose of halter and fleece shows. These categories are:

• Indefinite Light: White or Beige alpacas/fleece with easily recognizable dark fibers uniformly interspersed throughout the blanket of which the primary color is not grey.
• Indefinite Dark: Colored alpacas/fleece with easily recognizable white/light fibers uniformly interspersed throughout the blanket of which the primary color is not grey.


• Pattern: An alpaca shall qualify as a pattern if it displays a secondary distinct (easily identified by the naked eye) solid patch of color at the skin on the blanket, providing that any single solid patch of color shall be greater than six inches in length in any direction. The primary color shall not be grey.



• Pinto: An alpaca that exhibits two distinct colors in the blanket one of which is white. Each and all of the extremities (neck and all four legs) are predominately white and the majority of the blanket is a second color that is medium fawn or darker.
• Fancy: blanket fiber that exhibits three or more distinct (easily identified by the naked eye) colors of which the primary color is not grey.
• Appaloosa: blanket fiber that exhibits six or more spots of distinct (easily identified by the naked eye) secondary color of which the primary color is not grey.
  

This page was last updated on June 9, 2009.