Welcome to the World of Crias: The Fluffiest Babies in the Andes
If you have ever stumbled across a video of a miniature, long-legged, impossibly fluffy creature bouncing around a pasture, there is a good chance you were looking at a cria (pronounced KREE-uh).
Derived from the Spanish word cría, which means “baby” or “offspring,” a cria is the scientific and common term for a baby South American camelid. That means alpacas, llamas, vicuñas, and guanacos all start their lives with this adorable title.
Nature’s Built-in Clock: Daytime Births
One of the most fascinating things about crias is when they are born. Unlike many farm animals that might give birth overnight, mother alpacas and llamas almost always deliver their babies during daylight hours—typically between morning and early afternoon.
In the high, freezing altitudes of the Andes mountains where these animals originate, nighttime temperatures can plummet dramatically. By giving birth during the warm daylight, mothers give their newborns several hours of sunshine to dry off, find their footing, and start nursing before the mountain chill sets in.
Speedy Sprinters
Crias don’t like to waste time. Within just one hour of being born, a newborn cria is usually up on its feet, walking around, and figuring out how to nurse.
This rapid development is an evolutionary necessity. In the wild, South American camelids are prey animals, meaning newborns need to be mobile almost immediately to keep up with the herd and stay safe from predators.
Full Speed Ahead: Personality and Play
As they grow past their first few days, crias develop huge, curious personalities. Known for their high energy, young alpacas and llamas love to engage in what farmers call “pronking.” Pronking is a joyful behavior where they stiffen all four legs and bounce straight up into the air, or race across pastures in wild, zig-zagging packs.
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