Patagonia 150 plus

Wildlife

Guanaco

Size: Approximately 2 m from feet to ears
Body: Woolly
Weight: Approximately 90 kg - 120 kg
Colour: Grey face, grey or light brown body with lighter patches on its belly and lower part of neck
Food: Grass and small shrubs are its main diet but when food is scarce it also eats lichen, cacti and succulent plants
Lives: Grassland, desert, savannah and forests in Patagonia

The guanaco has a long neck and long legs and belongs to the llama family.

Guanacos usually live in herds consisting of up to 30 females and their young, protected by one male guanaco. The male guards its flock carefully and screams loudly to warn the others if it senses danger. Each herd has its own territory and the boundaries are marked by their dung.

Guanacos mate between November and February and during this time the males fight each other for the right to mate. The female gives birth to one chullengo in the spring of the following year. The chullengo can run as soon as it is born so that it can escape from danger. It stays with the herd until it is 13 - 15 months old and then the adult male forces it away.

Even though some herds live in the same area throughout the year, other herds migrate to different parts of the country. For example, some will move to the lowlands to avoid snow or drought. A guanaco can live for approximately 20 - 25 years.

Did you know…?

Guanacos can run very quickly – approximately 56 km an hour – so that they can escape from their predators.

If you get too close to a guanaco, it might spit at you!

The guanaco has two coats. The outer coat is rough but the inner coat is soft. The two coats keep the guanaco warm in cold regions.

The guanaco is a distant relative of the camel and can live on very little water for several days.

Patagonia 150 plus

Introducing Patagonia and Wales

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