The Suri alpaca is one of the two breeds of alpaca, alongside the more common Huacaya, and comprises less than 10 percent of the roughly 3.7 million alpacas alive worldwide. It is distinguished from the Huacaya by its fibre, which grows in long, straight locks rather than a crimped, wavy fleece, giving Suri fibre a distinctive lustre and sheen that breeders prize in the textile industry. Suri hair also differs microscopically from Huacaya hair, showing a lower frequency of fine hairs under 35 micrometres in diameter and fewer hairs with more than eight cuticular scales.
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