Wild ancestor of the domestic llama 7 letters. Guanaco
The guanaco is a mammal of the camelid family, the ancestor of the domestic llama. The word "guanaco" itself comes from "wanaku", the name of this animal in the Quechua language.
The habitats of guanacos stretch from the south of Peru to Tierra del Fuego - these are mountain systems, savannas, and desert areas.
Russians are more familiar with the llama, which lives in South America, which can be seen in any zoo. So, guanacos are a type of llama, although zoologists consider them a separate species.
Description and lifestyle of guanaco
South America is home to four species of animals that are similar in appearance to each other. These are llama, alpaca, guanaco and vicuna. These animals belong to the camelid family, although they do not have any humps on their backs, the most noticeable differences between a camel and any other representatives of the animal world.
With their size, body shape and legs, these camel relatives are more reminiscent of large sheep, and only the long neck is somewhat similar to a camel. Everything else, their lifestyle, their diet, their habits and behavioral characteristics are unique and unlike anyone else. They are not very tall in height, on average about 130 centimeters to the withers. They have a small but long head with pointed ears. The coat is shaggy, yellow-brown in color, turning to ash-gray on the head and neck. The fur is dense and thick, protects well from temperature changes.
Guanacos are built quite elegantly, similar in shape to an antelope. They are excellent runners and can reach speeds of over 50 km/h. Guanacos prefer to live in open, visible territories, so for them running is life, because they also have enemies and the main enemy is a fast puma, from which you can only escape by running. But they also easily overcome mountain steep slopes; they are not afraid of either rocks or quicksand. In addition, they are good swimmers; eyewitnesses said that they saw a group of guanacos swim from Cape Horn to the islands several miles away.
These unusual animals live only in mountainous areas at an altitude of about 3 thousand meters. Higher is easy, even up to 5500 meters is not the limit for them, but lower is uncomfortable for them. These animals, according to historians, have existed for more than forty million years. The real ancient camels became extinct during the Ice Age, and those that survived moved to the mountains. Over a long period of living in the mountains, they adapted to conditions of low pressure and low oxygen content in the atmosphere.
The lack of oxygen in the mountains at high altitude does not allow lowland animals and humans to endure normal physical activity. Any work, especially carrying heavy objects, is difficult. And at least something for these descendants of ancient camels. In these extreme conditions, they can easily move quickly without experiencing any inconvenience. This feature was noticed by the ancient inhabitants of these places, the Incas, and several thousand years BC they tamed them and began to use them for their own purposes.
And guanacos became pack animals and began to transport goods, and from this they received magnificent wool, which was used to make clothes. were and remain a source of meat and skins. Guanaco and vicuña meat are very valuable, and fur is still considered the best material for making clothing.
Some scientists believe that the guanaco is the ancestor of the modern llama. But it is quite difficult to find out, because all these species can mate with each other and produce offspring. Currently, there are almost no guanacos left in the wild, with the exception of inaccessible places where small herds of wild vicuñas and individual guanacos are still found. There is one more place where they are left to their own devices, this is the high plain of Pampa Canyahuas in Peru. There is a national reserve where all natural resources, including animals, are protected by the state. Thanks to this, herds of wild guanacos and vicuñas have appeared there in recent years, but so far there are not many of them.
Guanacos are very careful animals. When in the pasture, the leader of the herd does not graze, but is constantly on guard. If danger appears, he screams loudly and the entire herd instantly flees. Usually the leader runs last, and when necessary fights off enemies, preventing them from reaching the herd.
The guanaco's diet consists of all kinds of plant foods. They happily eat fresh grass, leaves and shoots of bushes, and plant branches. They, like camels, can go without water for a long time. If the water is far away, then they go to a watering hole once a week. Well, if water is nearby, they can drink water every day, and not necessarily fresh water; they are quite happy with salty water. Guanacos are ruminants. They have a special digestive system. The peculiar structure of the stomach allows them to chew food several times. Therefore, during periods of lack of food, they chew food repeatedly to extract as much nutrients as possible from it.
Guanacos live in a herd, headed by the strongest male. Usually the herd consists of about twenty females and young animals. The mating season begins in August and lasts until February. At this time, you can observe fights between males who beat each other with their front legs, spit, bite and press each other to the ground with their necks. The defeated person leaves the battlefield.
After eleven months, the female gives birth to one cub. She feeds him milk for up to four months, gradually accustoming him to plant foods. The cubs in the herd are in a special position.
But when the young male turns six months old, it is better for him to leave the herd, which is what he usually does. The leader keeps young males in the herd for up to six months, maximum up to a year, after which he drives them away. Sometimes he also chases away females that for some reason he doesn’t like. Young males unite in small herds and live together until they reach adulthood, until one of them starts a harem.
Basically, guanacos are domestic animals that, although they live in herds in natural conditions and graze in pastures, belong to people and are under their supervision. In the Andes, on ranches, local residents raise guanacos in large quantities for meat and fur from which they make clothes and jewelry. Their fur is similar to that of a fox. It is used not only in natural color, but also in a form colored with natural dyes. Small guanacos are killed for their skins. Their fur is thinner and the skins are used to make beautiful capes that are in demand among the local population. In the wild, guanacos live for about twenty years, in captivity, with good nutrition, sometimes up to 30 years.
If llamas and alpacas began to be bred on farms in Europe and Australia, then guanacos remained in their historical homeland. It doesn't seem to bother them that much. Guanacos, like millions of years ago, prefer a harsh but free life in the mountains.
(Lama),
a genus of humpless South American animals of the camelid family (Camelidae) of the order Artiodactila. Despite the lack of a hump, llamas have many common features with camels: canine-shaped incisors in the upper jaw, calloused pads on the soles of cloven hooves (adaptation to rocky soil), ambling and peculiarities of chewing cud, which the animal spits when angered. The llama (L. glama) is the only native species in America used as a beast of burden. It is domesticated ca. 1000 BC Incas in what is now Peru. The height of an adult male at the withers is 120 cm. The neck is long and thin, the head is relatively small, usually raised high, the ears are high and pointed. Domestic llamas have soft, shaggy, medium-length fur; color varies from pure white to black-brown and piebald. The ancestors of the lamas lived on the high plateaus in the Andes. This species is still used to transport heavy loads over ridges along paths inaccessible to modern transport. Only males are loaded: one animal carries 27-45 kg per day over a distance of approx. 24 km. If the pack is too heavy, the llama stops and sits down: no punishment will make her strain: she will simply spit stinking gum in the face of the annoying driver. Female llamas are used only for breeding: they are never milked or loaded. Mating season is in September. After a pregnancy lasting 10-11 months, one cub is usually born. Its mother feeds it with milk for six weeks, and llamas reach sexual maturity at three years. The Incas ate the meat of males, but only on special occasions, and females were never slaughtered. During religious festivals, male cubs were sacrificed to the gods. The supreme god Viracocha was supposed to be brown, the lightning god Ilyapa was supposed to be piebald (to match the color of the stormy sky), and the sun god Inti was supposed to be white. The oldest known ancestors of llamas and camels appeared approximately 40 million years ago in North America, from where they spread across the isthmuses to South America and Asia. By the end of the Pleistocene (about 1 million years ago), all North American camelids became extinct.
Alpaca(L. pacos) is a domestic animal developed by the Incas approximately 3,000 years ago as a source of wool. Nowadays, herds of alpacas of 100-200 heads are kept mainly by Peruvian Indians on the high plateaus of the Andes. Externally, the animals resemble sheep. The fleece reaches a length of 60 cm; It produces a fabric highly valued throughout the world for its softness, insulating properties and durability. Alpacas are slender, lightly built, with narrow pointed ears, a short shaggy tail, long legs and a long neck. Height at withers approx. 90 cm, color varies from piebald to yellowish-brown. Offspring are born in February - March; newborns are covered with fur, sighted, and within a few minutes they rise to their feet and begin to suckle their mother. Attempts to breed alpacas in other regions have not brought significant success. Although the meat of the animals is very tasty, they are not slaughtered because alpacas are too valuable a source of wool.
Guanaco(L. gaunico) is very close to the llama and alpaca and may be their ancestor. Domesticated guanacos are used as pack animals on the plains of Pampa and Patagonia (Argentina), in the mountains of Peru, Bolivia and Chile, as well as on the islands near Cape Horn. Wild herds can still be found in the inaccessible highlands, but their numbers have declined greatly in historical times. The height of the guanaco at the withers is approx. 120 cm. He has a long head with large protruding and pointed ears. The skin is shaggy, yellowish-brown, gradually becoming ash-gray on the neck and head. The animal is graceful, resembling a deer or antelope in proportions, but with a more elongated neck. Guanacos are excellent swimmers: they have been seen swimming from island to island in the Cape Horn area. Mating season in August - September; after a pregnancy lasting 11 months, a single cub is born. The mother feeds him with milk for 6 weeks, but allows him near the udder for the same amount of time, despite the fact that he begins to consume plant food. Guanaco meat is highly prized by the Indians. Whole piles of bones of these animals have been discovered in Patagonia - possibly the remains of their mass slaughter by the aborigines or early Spanish settlers. On ranches in the Andes, guanacos are bred for their fur, which is used to make clothing and jewelry. It resembles fox and is used both natural and dyed. Newborn animals are slaughtered for smushki (skins), from which beautiful capes are sewn.
Vicuna, or vigon (Lama vicugna), is the smallest species of the genus. It lives in the Andes up to 5200 m above sea level; the original range extended from Ecuador to Bolivia and Chile. Nowadays these are mainly domestic animals, but in some places wild herds remain. Vicuñas have the same body proportions as other llamas, and the height at the withers is less than 90 cm. The animals roam in herds of 10-12 females with young animals, headed by a male leader. He is constantly on guard and often watches the surrounding area from a high peak, emitting a shrill whistle at the first sign of danger. The beautiful reddish fur of vicunas is formed by very fine and soft hair and is better in quality than chinchilla fur. Fleece produces excellent wool fabrics. Uncontrolled fishing has led to the almost complete extermination of the species in large parts of its range, and these animals are now strictly protected by the Peruvian government.
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Guanaco is a mammal of the llama genus of the camelid family. This is the ancestor of the domesticated llama.
The body length of the guanaco is from 120 to 175 cm, the tail is 15-25 cm long, the height is 90-130 cm, the weight of adults is from 115 to 140 kg. The guanaco's body is slender, light, with proportions reminiscent of a deer or antelope, but its neck is more elongated and its legs are long. The long neck acts as a balancer when walking and running. The head is round, the ears are small, straight, the skin is dense, the muzzle resembles that of a camel. The eyes are large with long eyelashes. The coat is long, thick, the upper back and neck are red-brown. The belly, legs and neck are almost white on the underside, the color border is sharply defined. The muzzle is dark, gray, the ears are light gray. By these characteristics, the guanaco can be distinguished from the vicuña, whose muzzle and ears are brownish. Females are slightly smaller than males. The feet are narrow and mobile. Paws are two-toed. On the inner side of the limbs there are visible rudiments of the disappeared fingers, which are called “chestnuts”
Guanacos are herbivores. In the Andean foothills they feed mainly on two types of shrubs: Mulinum spinosum and Colletia spinosissima. They include various herbs, lichens, shrubs, mushrooms, cacti, fruits, and flowers in their diet.
In general, they are unpretentious in nutrition, since they live in harsh places and feed on any plants they find; they can also go without water for a long time. If possible, drink regularly, both fresh and brackish water.
The guanaco's habitat includes the pampas, semi-deserts and highlands of the Andes, ranging from southern Peru through Chile and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego. A small population lives in western Paraguay. The animal is found at altitudes up to 4000 m above sea level. Guanaco prefers open, arid and semi-arid, hilly areas, and is sometimes found in the rainforests of Peru.
Guanaco is the only species of its genus. Its closest relatives are vicuñas, llamas and alpacas. The Guanaco is considered the ancestor of the domestic llama. Domestication occurred about 5,000 years ago.
For guanacos, sexual dimorphism is manifested in the fact that males are larger in size than females.
Guanaco is a herd polygamous animal. An adult male leads about 20 females and young individuals, he drives out grown males, who become older than 6-12 months, from the herd, other males, and sometimes always drives away females. Approximately 18% of adult males live in family groups, the rest live in herds of up to 50 males or alone. The latter is especially typical for aging individuals who have lost their females.
The area occupied by the herd depends on the region; it is carefully protected from other representatives of the genus. Only in unfavorable times do guanacos form mixed herds of up to 500 individuals, which move together in search of food.
In case of danger, the male warns the herd with a sharp whistle, and the animals begin to run at speeds of up to 56 km/h. The dominant male runs behind, protecting the herd. In addition, guanacos can swim well, and for self-defense they spit a mixture of nasal mucus and saliva.
At night, guanacos rest; their period of activity begins at dawn, and during the day is interrupted several times by periods of rest. In the morning and evening, guanacos go to watering places. Guanacos go to the toilet strictly in certain places, where large “signal” piles of manure are formed.
In general, guanacos are extremely cautious animals; all members of the herd are never at rest; special “sentinels” are allocated from them, which make loud sounds in case of danger. If guanacos are disturbed, the animals very quickly disappear from view, but in areas where they are protected, guanacos become much less timid and often allow people to get close to them.
The guanaco's rut begins in the north of its range in August, in the south until February. At this time, fights occur between males; they fight each other for females. Like camels, guanacos rise on their hind legs, crush each other with their necks, bite, hit with their front paws, and spit saliva and stomach contents.
Mating begins in December and continues until January; offspring are born in November-December. Thus, pregnancy in females lasts about 11 months. There is usually one cub in a litter, the weight of which is equal to 10% of the mother's weight. In cases where two cubs are born, only one survives. The small guanaco gets up already at the 5th minute, but usually after half an hour, it starts grazing after a couple of months. Milk feeding lasts 4 months. Becomes independent at the age of 8 months. Sexual maturity is reached by 2 years.
Life expectancy in nature is 20 years, in captivity it reaches 28 years.
The main natural enemy of the guanaco is the puma. The puma hunts at dusk; you can only escape from it by noticing it in time and running away. Therefore, one of the members of the guanaco family group, even when the animals are resting, continues to be on alert and, at the slightest danger, gives a signal to escape. The victims of pumas are hesitant animals or small cubs.
- The name "guanaco" comes from the word "wanaku", which is how the animal was called in the Quechua language.
- Guanacos can reach speeds of up to 56 km/h, which is important for this species as it lives in open areas.
- The guanaco population is declining as the animal is hunted for its skin, wool and meat, and it also competes in grazing areas for livestock.
- In Chile and Peru, guanaco is protected by law.
- Guanacos always defecate in a strictly defined place, that is, they have a kind of toilet. The Indians, noticing this feature of the animal, used their dung as fuel, collecting it in such places.
- There is a city in Argentina named Guanaco after this species.
- Today, guanacos are bred on special ranches in the Andes for their fur, which is used to make clothing and jewelry. Outwardly, it looks like fox fur and is used both in natural and dyed forms.
Contents of the article
LLAMA(Lama), a genus of humpless South American animals of the camelid family (Camelidae) of the order Artiodactila. Despite the lack of a hump, llamas have many common features with camels: canine-shaped incisors in the upper jaw, calloused pads on the soles of cloven hooves (adaptation to rocky soil), ambling and peculiarities of chewing cud, which the animal spits when angered.
Lama
(L.glama) America's only native species used as beasts of burden. It is domesticated ca. 1000 BC Incas in what is now Peru.
The height of an adult male at the withers is 120 cm. The neck is long and thin, the head is relatively small, usually raised high, the ears are high and pointed. Domestic llamas have soft, shaggy, medium-length fur; color varies from pure white to black-brown and piebald.
The ancestors of the lamas lived on the high plateaus in the Andes. This species is still used to transport heavy loads over ridges along paths inaccessible to modern transport. Only males are loaded: one animal carries 2745 kg per day over a distance of approx. 24 km. If the pack is too heavy, the llama stops and sits down: no punishment will make her strain: she will simply spit stinking gum in the face of the annoying driver.
Female llamas are used only for breeding: they are never milked or loaded. Mating season is in September. After a pregnancy lasting 10-11 months, one calf is usually born. Its mother feeds it with milk for six weeks, and llamas reach sexual maturity at three years.
The Incas ate the meat of males, but only on special occasions, and females were never slaughtered. During religious festivals, male cubs were sacrificed to the gods. The supreme god Viracocha was supposed to be brown, the lightning god Ilyapa was piebald (to match the color of the stormy sky), and the sun god Inti was white.
The oldest known ancestors of llamas and camels appeared approximately 40 million years ago in North America, from where they spread across the isthmuses to South America and Asia. By the end of the Pleistocene (about 1 million years ago), all North American camelids became extinct.
Alpaca
(L. pacos) a domestic animal bred by the Incas about 3,000 years ago as a source of wool. Nowadays, herds of alpacas of 100200 heads are kept mainly by Peruvian Indians on the high plateaus of the Andes. Externally, the animals resemble sheep. The fleece reaches a length of 60 cm; It produces a fabric highly valued throughout the world for its softness, insulating properties and durability.
Alpacas are slender, lightly built, with narrow pointed ears, a short shaggy tail, long legs and a long neck. Height at withers approx. 90 cm, color varies from piebald to yellowish-brown. Offspring are born in February March; newborns are covered with fur, sighted, and within a few minutes they rise to their feet and begin to suckle their mother.
Attempts to breed alpacas in other regions have not brought significant success. Although the meat of the animals is very tasty, they are not slaughtered because alpacas are too valuable a source of wool.
Guanaco
(L. gaunico) is very close to the llama and alpaca and may be their ancestor. Domesticated guanacos are used as pack animals on the plains of Pampa and Patagonia (Argentina), in the mountains of Peru, Bolivia and Chile, as well as on the islands near Cape Horn. Wild herds can still be found in the inaccessible highlands, but their numbers have declined greatly in historical times.
The height of the guanaco at the withers is approx. 120 cm. He has a long head with large protruding and pointed ears. The skin is shaggy, yellowish-brown, gradually becoming ash-gray on the neck and head. The animal is graceful, resembling a deer or antelope in proportions, but with a more elongated neck. Guanacos are excellent swimmers: they have been seen swimming from island to island in the Cape Horn area.
Mating season in August September; after a pregnancy lasting 11 months, a single cub is born. The mother feeds him with milk for 6 weeks, but allows him near the udder for the same amount of time, despite the fact that he begins to consume plant food.
Guanaco meat is highly prized by the Indians. Whole piles of bones of these animals have been discovered in Patagonia, possibly the remains of their mass slaughter by the aborigines or early Spanish settlers.
On ranches in the Andes, guanacos are bred for their fur, which is used to make clothing and jewelry. It resembles fox and is used both natural and dyed. Newborn animals are slaughtered for smushki (skins), from which beautiful capes are sewn.
Vicuna,
or vigon ( Lama vicugna), the smallest species of the genus. It lives in the Andes up to 5200 m above sea level; the original range extended from Ecuador to Bolivia and Chile. Nowadays these are mainly domestic animals, but in some places wild herds remain.
Vicuñas have the same body proportions as other llamas, and the height at the withers is less than 90 cm. The animals roam in herds of 1012 females with young animals, headed by a leader male. He is constantly on guard and often watches the surrounding area from a high peak, emitting a shrill whistle at the first sign of danger.
The beautiful reddish fur of vicunas is formed by very fine and soft hair and is better in quality than chinchilla fur. Fleece produces excellent wool fabrics. Uncontrolled fishing has led to the almost complete extermination of the species in large parts of its range, and these animals are now strictly protected by the Peruvian government.