Animal profile

Guanaco

Lama guanicoe

MammaliaArid grassland, shrub steppe, Patagonian plain and high Andean slopeLeast Concern

Field profile

The guanaco is the larger of the two wild South American camelids and the ancestor of the llama. It lives in family groups led by a single male, with bachelor herds nearby, and ranges from Patagonian coast to high Andean plateau.

Published field notes

2025-09-29

Guanaco

Camelid blood cells are oval, not round

Almost every mammal carries disc-shaped red blood cells. Camels, guanacos and their relatives carry small elliptical ones that resist swelling and bursting, part of a blood chemistry suited to thin air and unreliable water.

Read with evidence →