Guanaco
Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Lama guanicoe
Population size
1.5-2.2 Mlnlnn
Life Span
20-25 years
Top speed
64
40
km/hmph
km/h mph 
Weight
96-130
211.2-286
kglbs
kg lbs 
Height
1-1.2
3.3-3.9
mft
m ft 
Length
190-215
74.8-84.6
cminch
cm inch 

The guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is a camelid native to South America. Described as an elegant animal, with a long, slender neck and fine legs by Charles Darwin, the guanaco is the biggest wild camelid family member in South America and is thought to be the domestic llama's ancestor.

Di

Diurnal

He

Herbivore

Fo

Folivore

Gr

Graminivore

Te

Terrestrial

Cu

Cursorial

Zo

Zoochory

Te

Territorial

Co

Congregatory

Vi

Viviparous

Pr

Precocial

Po

Polygyny

So

Social

He

Herding

Al

Altitudinal Migrant

G

starts with

Fa

Fast Animals
(collection)

Appearance

The color of guanacos varies very little (unlike the domestic llama), ranging from light brown to dark cinnamon and shading to white underneath. They have grey faces and small, straight ears. Guanacos' eyes are on the sides of their head, allowing them to look all around for threats. Their ears are erect and straight, giving them a curious and attentive look. Guanacos have thick skin on their necks, a trait also found in their domestic counterparts, the llama, and their relatives, the wild vicuna and domesticated alpaca. This protects their necks from predator attacks. Like other camelids, guanacos walk on enlarged sole pads, only the tips of their hooves touching the ground. These pads are moveable, helping to provide a grip on gravelly and rocky terrain.

Video

Distribution

Geography

Guanacos are native to the Andean mountains of South America. They can live at elevations from sea level to over 4,500 meters. They are found in high-mountain regions of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile as well as in Patagonian and Tierra del Fuego grassland in Argentina and Chile. In addition, there is a small introduced population of Guanacos on the Falkland Islands. They prefer semi-arid and arid habitats, including desert grassland, shrubland, savanna, and sometimes forest. Some populations are sedentary, while others make seasonal migrations, sometimes moving to lower altitudes in order to avoid drought or snow cover.

Guanaco habitat map
Guanaco habitat map
Guanaco
Public Domain Dedication (CC0)

Habits and Lifestyle

Guanacos have a reasonably flexible social system, with populations being either migratory or sedentary, depending on the availability of forage. During the mating season, they are found in three main social units: family groups, groups of males, and associations of males that are solitary. A territorial adult male heads each family group and contains a varying number of young and adult females. Aside from family groups, the non-breeding, non-territorial adult and juvenile males form groups between 3 and 60 males, and forage in separate male-group zones. The mature males that have territories but do not have females are known as solitary males and may form associations numbering about 3. Guanacos make a range of vocalizations to convey information and negotiate social roles. Notable among them are alarm calls, used to warn other members of the group about potential predators, and clicking sounds, used in combat between males.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

The guanaco is herbivorous and eats mainly grasses and shrubs, but also lichens, succulent plants, and cacti when other food is scarce.

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
REPRODUCTION SEASON
November-February
PREGNANCY DURATION
11,5 months
BABY CARRYING
1 chulengo
INDEPENDENT AGE
11-15 months
BABY NAME
chulengo

Guanacos are polygynous animals and only the dominant male of any herd is able to mate with the females. This is why there are such fierce battles among males to lead a group of adult females. Mating occurs from November to February. Gestation lasts for 11.5 months, with a single offspring born to each mating female every year. The young, known as chulengos are precocial, able to stand as soon as 5 to 76 minutes after being born. Chulengos have a behavior of following the mother, rather than hiding; as a way of avoiding predation in open habitats. Due to the need to grow quickly, the chulengos begin to graze when just a few weeks old, foraging almost exclusively by 8 months old when weaning occurs. They remain with their group until they are about 11 to 15 months old, at which time the adult male usually forces them out. Female guanacos achieve reproductive maturity at the age of 2 years old and mate from the age of 3. Males become reproductively mature from 2 to 4 years of age.

Population

Population threats

Major threats to guanacos include overhunting, for meat, skins, and wool, and also poaching, habitat degradation, isolation, and fragmentation of populations as a result of the development and erection of barbed wire fences. Drought and overgrazing, possibly due to climate change, are further threats to this animal's habitat. Sheep breeders will often kill guanacos, viewing them as competitors with sheep as well as possible transmitters of disease, although it could be that diseases from domestic livestock are more likely to threaten guanacos.

Population number

According to the IUCN Red List, the total population number of the guanaco is between 1,500,000-2,200,000 individuals with the estimated number of adults between 1,000,000-1,500,000 individuals. The population number of this species in specific regions includes Peru: 3,000 individuals; Bolivia: 150-200 individuals; Paraguay: 20-100 individuals; Chile: 270,000-299,000 individuals; Argentina: 1,225,000-1,890,000 individuals. Currently, the guanaco is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are increasing.

Ecological niche

Throughout its distribution, a guanaco plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem function. It disperses seeds in its feces, controls the growth of vegetation by browsing and grazing, and is a food source for its natural predators.

Fun Facts for Kids

  • The guanaco can spit a distance of 6 feet (183 cm) and it hardly ever misses its target.
  • Guanacos have an especially acclimatized heart as well as blood cells which assist in coping with the atmosphere at a high altitude where there is not enough oxygen in the air.
  • The pelt of a guanaco has an outer as well as an inner layer. The outer one acts as guard hair whereas the inner one is soft in texture.
  • Guanacos can survive without water for a few days by gaining moisture from the plants they eat.
  • The soft, downy coat of a guanaco is valued very highly due to its rarity and soft texture. The only animal with better fur than a guanaco is the vicuna, its wild cousin.

Coloring Pages

References

1. Guanaco Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanaco
2. Guanaco on The IUCN Red List site - http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/11186/0

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