An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid mammal that is similar to, and often confused with, the llama. However, alpacas are often noticeably smaller than llamas. The two animals are closely related and can successfully crossbreed. Alpacas are social herd animals that live in family groups, consisting of a territorial alpha male, females, and their young ones. They are gentle and curious and can become great pets with training. Alpacas warn the herd about intruders by making sharp, noisy inhalations that sound like a high-pitched bray. The herd may attack smaller predators with their front feet and can spit and kick. Their aggression towards members of the canid family (coyotes, foxes, dogs, etc.) is exploited when alpacas are used as guard llamas for guarding sheep. Alpacas are prized all over the world for their fleecy coats, which are shorn to make warm, soft, lightweight textiles. Alpacas are pseudo-ruminants, with a single stomach divided into three compartments. They produce rumen and chew cud and are able to process this modest amount of food very efficiently. Alpacas are strict grazers, eating from the mountains and valleys of the Andes. They require much less food than most animals their size and usually feed on a combination of fresh grass and low-protein hay.