Appaloosa alpacas are unusual and leopard appaloosas rarer still. Leopard appaloosa alpacas are described as having spots from the tip of their nose to the end of their toes! Perdy is the perfect example. This is different from a standard appaloosa alpaca that may have a few spots or patches of a 2nd colour in their fleece, or a fancy alpaca, that may have an area of the body in a 2nd colour.
The colour is caused by the Lp gene and has long been considered desirable in some USA and Australia alpaca herds. For many years the UK favoured white alpacas, as the fibre can be dyed to any colour, but in recent years the wide range of natural colours (there are officially 22) have become popular. Alpacas with a mix of colours in the quality area of the fleece (known as the blanket) have been frowned upon, but many owners like the interesting colours of these alpacas and the fibre is much sought after by hand spinners. Selective breeding has seen great improvements in fibre quality of these appaloosa alpacas.
Many Leopard Appaloosa alpacas in the UK are descendants of an imported male, Popham Camouflage and Mullacott Alpacas is proud to have on of his sons, Paint Splash.
Even rarer are the Harlequin Leopard Appaloosa Alpacas (See separate page). Mullacott Alpacas are also proud to own two stud male Harlequin Leopard Appaloosa alpacas. Pongo has a base colour of grey, rather than the fawn of the standard leopard appaloosa. He was produced by an 18 year old female and was the first appaloosa she had ever had. A lucky chance mating! Even more interesting is that he is genetically unrelated to Camouflage and so it will be possible to mate spots to spots. We hope to have our first cria combining these two lines in 2019.
Domino doesn’t appear to be a leopard appaloosa at all until you look back in his photo album, as he has dark spots on a grey/brown background that has darkened with age.
Our Appaloosas:
- Domino (Harlequin Leopard Appaloosa)
- Paintsplash (Leopard Appaloosa)
- Archie (Harlequin Leopard Appaloosa)
- Perdita (Leopard Appaloosa)
- Dotty (Harlequin Leopard Appaloosa)
- Freckles (Leopard Appaloosa)
- Poppy (Harlequin Leopard Appaloosa)
- Snowdon (Leopard Appaloosa)