Guanaco
Lama guanicoe
Silhouette: PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderArtiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans)
- FamilyCamelidae (Camelids)
- GenusLama (Llamas and Guanacos)
- SpeciesLama guanicoe (Guanaco)
In 3 days >90%
About the Guanaco
The guanaco ( gwah-NAH-koh; Lama guanicoe) is a camelid native to South America, closely related to the domesticated llama. Guanacos are one of two wild South American camelids; the other species is the vicuña, which lives at higher elevations.
The guanaco gets its name from the Quechua word wanaku. Young guanacos are called chulengos or "guanaquitos". Guanacos stand between 1.0 and 1.3 m (3 ft 3 in and 4 ft 3 in) at the shoulder, body length of 2.1 to 2.2 m (6 ft 11 in to 7 ft 3 in), and weigh 90 to 140 kg (200 to 310 lb). Their color varies very little (unlike the domestic llama), ranging from a light brown to dark cinnamon and shading to white underneath. Guanacos have grey faces and small, straight ears. The lifespan of a guanaco can be as long as 28 years.
Guanacos are one of the largest terrestrial mammals native to South America today. Other terrestrial mammalian megafauna weighing as much or more than the guanaco include the tapirs, the marsh deer, the white-tailed deer, the spectacled bear, and the jaguar.
Guanacos have thick skin on their necks, a trait also found in their domestic counterparts, the llama, and their relatives, the wild...
Sounds
Recording0:10
Argentina · 2024
© Hugo · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of Guanaco in Pan de Azúcar National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Torres del Paine National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 3 | Pan de Azúcar National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 4 | Nahuel Huapi National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Pan de Azúcar National Park
No species of the same family or order lives in Pan de Azúcar National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Guanaco in Pan de Azúcar National Park?
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Guanaco sighting in Pan de Azúcar National Park on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Guanaco in Pan de Azúcar National Park?
January
In that month about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Guanaco in Pan de Azúcar National Park on a given day, against about 30% in September, the lowest month. April–August and November have too few records to rate.
What time of day is best to see a Guanaco?
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Guanaco sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Pan de Azúcar National Park the best place to see a Guanaco?
Among the best
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Guanaco sightings, Pan de Azúcar National Park ranks 3rd at about 80%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Península Valdés (Argentina, about 80%) and Torres del Paine National Park (Chile, about 80%). All parks ranked.
Where does the Guanaco sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Guanaco is recorded against all the mammals logged in Pan de Azúcar National Park (19 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.