Guanacos, camelids native to South America, are among the continent's largest mammals.

They stand approximately 3.5 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh between 200 and 300 pounds. These slender and fine-boned animals have a long neck and limbs, with large, alert brown eyes. Their face can vary from blackish to silvery-grey in color. Guanacos are equipped with pointed ears and prehensile, cleft lips used to grasp and maneuver twigs and grasses.

Coat and Color

Similar to llamas, guanacos possess a double coat. The outer layer consists of insulative guard hairs that provide warmth, while the soft undercoat is highly valued for producing fine garments, even more prized than alpaca wool. Guanacos exhibit a color range from light reddish-brown to cinnamon, with white undersides.

Habitat and Feeding Habits

Preferred Environment

Guanacos inhabit diverse ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, deserts, and shrublands in the Andean foothills of Argentina, Chile, and Peru. These animals thrive at elevations ranging from sea level to 13,000 feet.

Dietary Patterns

Dear Lykkers, as herbivores, guanacos adapt to arid conditions by extracting moisture from plants. They are both browsers and grazers, consuming shrubs, grasses, cacti, flowers, fruit, and lichen when vegetation is scarce.

Behavior

Speed and Defense

Guanacos can run at speeds of nearly 35 miles per hour, outrunning most Patagonian animals except the puma. At the first sign of danger, they emit a sharp warning cry, prompting their herd to flee swiftly across the altiplano.

Social Structure

These animals live in small herds or family bands. Each family group consists of a dominant male, several females, and their young. Calves, known for their playful nature, frolic within the group but bow submissively to mature males. Male guanacos drive away their offspring once they reach 6 to 12 months of age. Approximately 18% of males belong to family bands, while most young and older males form bachelor groups or live solitarily, seeking to establish their own herds.

Brutal Fight for Dominance Among Guanacos | Wild Patagonia | BBC Earth

Video by BBC Earth

Reproduction

Mating and Gestation

Female guanacos begin breeding as early as one year of age but often wait until two or three years. The mating season spans November through February, during which males become aggressive and engage in violent fights. After an 11-month gestation, females give birth to a single calf, known as a chulengo, between December and February.

Chulengo Development

Newborn chulengos weigh 17 to 33 pounds and can stand within an hour of birth. They possess a full coat of hair and nurse for 11 to 15 months.

Conservation Status

Threats and Challenges

Pumas prey on young chulengos, but the declining population of this predator has shifted the primary threat to guanacos toward starvation. In eastern Patagonia, climate change-induced droughts, overgrazing by livestock, and land desertification have severely impacted guanaco populations.

Human Impact

The guanaco's once-extensive range has been significantly reduced due to competition with livestock, over-hunting for pelts, and habitat destruction caused by human activities. Currently, guanacos are classified as critically endangered in Peru and vulnerable in Chile.