Mammals · Artiodactyla · Camelidae

Guanaco

Lama guanicoe

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It is the wild ancestor of the domestic llama, which descends from it through thousands of years of selective domestication.

Weight

79 kg – 140 kg

Size

1.6 m – 2 m

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Herd

Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertMountainHerbivore Diurnal In herds Desert Mountain Mammal

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Fun facts

It is the wild ancestor of the domestic llama.
Dominant males kill unrelated young when they take over a harem.
It is the largest wild camelid in South America.
comportamientoIt is the wild ancestor of the domestic llama, and can run at considerable speed across open high-altitude country to escape its natural predators.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Steppe, arid grassland, scrub and mountain country across much of South America, up to 4,500 m
Birth weight: Born precocial, able to stand and run shortly after birth
Size at birth: Born precocial
Gestation / incubation: 335-360 days (~11-11.5 months)
Litter / clutch size: 1 young per birth (a 'chulengo'), with a birth every two years
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 33.7 years

Sources consulted: BioDB; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); AnimalHub; Grokipedia (Guanaco); Animal Diversity Web; PubMed (endocrine changes guanacos study)