Guanaco

Guanacos are graceful animals related to camels.

They live throughout South America in dry, open country in the mountains or on the plains. Guanaco have a calm attitude, which is why they were domesticated over 7,000 years ago to be used as pack animals. The result of the domesticated Guanaco is the Llama of today.

Due to their vast distribution, they can adjust their body position to utilize their “thermal windows”- areas of thin wool on their sides. This allows them to change the amount of skin exposed that is available for heat exchange.

Males defend their territories from other males and live in family groups of between 5 and 13 adults. The females are allowed to leave freely but new females entering is determined by the one territorial male of the group. There are frequent male on male fights that become quite aggressive and can even result in injury.

Guanaco babies are called chulengos and follow their mother closely to avoid predators.

Chulengos are weaned at 4-8 months of age but return to nursing after the next years babies are born which suggests there is a lot of parental investment. Between 11 and 15 months all juveniles are forced to disperse. In addition to family groups, non-territorial males form groups between 3 to 60, solitary males are also common.

All Guanaco have a thick, wooly coat that can be light brown, brownish yellow, or a rusty red. These colors help Guanacos blend in with their grassland and desert habitats.

You know I am a Guanaco if I am slightly larger than alpacas but smaller than llamas. We have brownish white underparts and grey faces, ears, and necks. We also have small, straight ears.

Guanacos are important in the ecosystem by dispersing seeds, controlling vegetation and serving as a food source to scavengers and predators. Hunting for their pelts and human fragmentation are the main dangers to guanaco populations. Today, there are less than 600,000 Guanaco left in the wild, with 90% of them living in Argentina.

Diet: Mostly feeding on grasses, Guanaco eat tough, low-quality food in the wild and only get the moisture they need from their food.