Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Alpaca health · Breeding & birthing

Cryptorchidism & Small Testicles in Alpacas

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team6 peer-reviewed references
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Monitor and manage

Usually manageable with good husbandry; involve your vet if it worsens.

Retained or undersized testicles in males — believed to be heritable, so affected males should not be bred.

Category
Breeding & birthing
Urgency
Monitor and manage

Signs & symptoms

  • One or both testicles not in the scrotum
  • Testicles smaller than expected for age

What causes it?

Developmental and genetic factors.

How vets diagnose it

Palpation and ultrasound; testicles should reach about 3-4 cm in length by breeding age.

Treatment

Castration (surgical removal of a retained testicle may be more complex).

Prevention

  • Select herdsires with normal testicular size and family history

Background

Cryptorchidism, also known as undescended testis (UDT), is the failure of one or both testicles to descend into the scrotum. The word is from Ancient Greek κρυπτός (kryptos) 'hidden' and ὄρχις (orchis) 'testicle'. It is the most common birth defect of the male genital tract. About 3% of full-term and 30% of premature infant boys are born with at least one undescended testis. However, about 80% of cryptorchid testes descend by the first year of life, making the true incidence of cryptorchidism around 1% overall. Cryptorchidism may develop after infancy, sometimes as late as young adulthood, but that is exceptional.From Wikipedia — “Cryptorchidism”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Research & references

PubMed lists 7 peer-reviewed papers on this topic in camelids. The most relevant include:

  1. Laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy in a mature llama. Lynch N, Adams J, Perrier M The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne, 2020. PubMed 32355352 · cited 2×
  2. Effect of age and castration on serum anti-Müllerian hormone concentration in male alpacas. Ciccarelli M, Tibary A, Campbell AJ et al. Theriogenology, 2018. PubMed 28982028 · DOI · cited 7×
  3. Advances in the Diagnosis of Reproductive Disorders in Male Camelids. Sghiri A, Waqas MS, Ciccarelli M et al. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2025. PubMed 41096526 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 1×
  4. Use of a parainguinal approach for cryptorchidectomy in alpacas. Parker JE, Semevolos SA Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2002. PubMed 12092959 · DOI · cited 1×
  5. [Unilateral laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy in a llama]. Zulauf M, Bergadano A, Steiner A Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde, 2002. PubMed 12070907 · DOI · cited 1×
  6. [Cryptorchism in vicunas (Lama vicugna)]. Rietschel W Tierarztliche Praxis, 1990. PubMed 1979890 · cited 1×

Frequently asked questions

What is cryptorchidism & Small Testicles in alpacas?
Retained or undersized testicles in males — believed to be heritable, so affected males should not be bred.
What are the signs of cryptorchidism & Small Testicles?
One or both testicles not in the scrotum and testicles smaller than expected for age.
How do you prevent cryptorchidism & Small Testicles?
Select herdsires with normal testicular size and family history.
Is cryptorchidism & Small Testicles an emergency?
Monitor and manage. Usually manageable with good husbandry; involve your vet if it worsens.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a veterinarian who has examined your animals. Camelid medicine uses many drugs “extra-label”, so dosing must come from your vet. In an emergency, call your vet first. Read our disclaimer · How we write and review content.