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Information on llamas and alpacas can come from many sources,
but there's nothing like a book! Quite a few books on llamas and
alpacas have been published... often self-published. You can find
them at llama conferences and online. Likely you know about Amazon,
but do you know about ABE? It's a very useful resource, described
further down this page.
I list llama and alpaca books together because several of the books
cover both animals. (They are closely related, so a lot but not
all information on one can help you with the other.)
Llama and alpaca books at Amazon
 With
its technical content and hefty price tag, not everyone will want
Medicine and Surgery of South American Camelids, by noted veterinararian
and researcher Dr. Murray Fowler. Especially if you are caring for
expensive or dearly-loved animals, you may want a copy for yourself
or to share with your own veterinarian. I remember the excitement
when this book first came out.
It covers health care, disease, and surgery for llamas, alpacas,
guanacos, and vicunas. Chapters include: general biology and evolution;
feeding and nutrition; restraint and handling; procedures of clinical
diagnosis; anesthesia; surgery; infectious diseases; parasites;
multisystem disorders; the integumentary, musculoskeletal, respiratory,
digestive endocrine, hemic, lymphatic, cardiovascular, reproductive,
urinary, and nervous systems; the sense organs; neonatology; congenital
and hereditary conditions; toxicology; conformation and gaits; and
finally, disaster and emergency management.
 If
I were raising alpacas, I would do whatever I could to get my hands
on a copy of The
Alpaca Book, written by (disclaimer here) my old friend Eric
Hoffman... NOT because he's an old friend but because this 1995
book is the most comprehensive book that I know of on all aspects
of alpaca care, written for beginners and experienced breeders alike.
But before you cheerfully click through to Amazon, I'd better warn
you that this may not be an easy book to find at a good price. The
day I downloaded the book cover on Amazon, there was only one used
copy listed for sale, for over $800! But not long before that, there
had been a copy for about $75. I checked Abe, described at the bottom
of this page, and the day I was there, there were no copies. Another
place to look, which I didn't, would be alibris.com.
Alpacas:
Synthesis of a Miracle, by Mike Safley, is another comprehensive
book on alpacas. We bought one of our first llamas, Lil Bit, from
Mike's parents, and Mike has really been steeped in the business.
While I haven't seen this book myself, it looks like good competition
for The Alpaca Book, reviewed just above here. The description
on Amazon made me want to read it!
 The
Camelid Companion: Handling and Training Your Alpacas and Llamas,
by Marty McGee Bennett, is the best book out there on the topic.
I've watched Marty evolve her techniques over the years; we made
a video with her when she was just getting started. She has made
a tremendous difference to countless llamas, alpacas, and humans
with her wise and effective methods.
The book isn't cheap but it has over 400 pages and can solve many
a problem for you, not to mention motivating you to get out there
in the pasture and see what you can do! With Marty's help, it will
be a lot.
 And
here's another book on llamas and alpacas by Marty McGee. This one
is more of a coffee-table book enjoyable by anyone. A great gift,
Llamas
and Alpacas as a Metaphor for Life brings a lot of pleasure.
Caring
for Llamas and Alpacas: A Health & Management Guide was
last updated in 2003 and has a lot of excellent information.
We used this book a lot ourselves and used to sell copies of
it.
ABE is the American Booksellers Exchange...
... and it offers over 40 million books for sale through a worldwide
network of used book sellers. I have bought quite a number of
books through ABE, and have always had prompt and reliable service.
You can often find terrific bargains here, or items that are
simply not available anywhere else. But at times, prices may be
higher than at Amazon, either because the individual bookseller
doesn't know the value or because the used and rare book market
may support higher prices.
Click on the image above to go to ABE, or the links below will
take you to searches I have already created:
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