Guanaco

The guanaco is a wild relative of the camel that lives in South America, and it is the wild ancestor of the domestic llama. It stands about 1.0 to 1.3 metres tall at the shoulder and weighs 90 to 140 kilograms. Its coat is light brown to cinnamon, with white underneath and a grey face.

Guanacos live in many places, from the Patagonian steppe to the Andes, and from deserts up to heights of about 4,000 metres. They are herbivores and graze on grass, shrubs, lichens and even cacti. It is one of the largest wild land animals native to South America.

Built for tough places

The guanaco has thick skin on its neck, which protects it from predator bites. Like the llama, it has a three-chambered stomach in which it chews its food again as cud.

Calves, called chulengos, are able to run within minutes of being born, which helps them keep up with the herd. The coat has little variation in colour, unlike that of the domestic llama.

Herds on the move

Guanacos live in groups and can run at up to 55 kilometres an hour. They are good swimmers, too.

Their main wild enemy is the puma. In Chile, hunting is allowed only in Tierra del Fuego, where the only population in the country that is not classified as endangered lives. It can live up to about 28 years. In some places guanacos live where few other large animals can find enough to eat.

On the globe

The globe places the guanaco on the Patagonian steppe in Chile. Look for the long neck and the white belly.