Alpacas make all sorts of sounds. Although I have not researched to read official names on all of them, these are most of what we have heard in our herd:
- Hum—the most common sound, heard many times between a dam and her cria.
- Orgle—the sound made by the male when mating.
- Alarm—usually made by just a select few in the herd, but brings everyone running to see the danger.
- Scream—most often heard between two males when in a severe disagreement.
- Consternation—certain Alpacas will make this noise when you invade their space and are putting a halter on them.
- Fussing—often heard when two are head to head and in disagreement.
- Cluck—either heard when a male is interested in a female, or when a dam is calling her cria.
- Spit—Either an air spit or the full green stuff spitooey, no a sound you want directly in front of you.
- Snort—usually an expression of their space being invaded.
- Sneeze—just like a human an Alpaca will sneeze.
- Cough—if they get something caught in their throat they will cough to dislodge it.
- Breathing Rattle—this is not a good sound as it can mean a serious lung infection