Where do guanacos live?

Guanacos can be found throughout much of South America, in a range of environments, from arid desert to the Patagonian Steppe – and even the Falkland Islands.

The guanaco is equally at home at a range of different altitudes and in some parts of Southern Chile, can be found on land below sea level, or 4000m above it.

Can guanacos spit?

Yes guanacos can spit.  Guanacos (and their domesticated descendents, the llamas), are able to spit a distance of nearly 2m for the purposes of self-defence and communication. The spray, directed at their targets with great accuracy, comprises the rather unsavoury mix of saliva, digestive juices and the undigested contents of the stomach.

Other spitting stars from the animal kingdom include, obviously, the spitting cobra (blasts venom from its fangs); the archerfish (fires jets of water to topple bugs from riverside vegetation); and the walrus (also fires jets of water – to dislodge clams from the seabed).

Sarah McPherson

How did guanacos end up on the Falkland Islands?

You may have seen the guanacos (the wild ancestor of the llama) and vicuñas of mainland South America on stunning BBC wildlife programmes. But if you happen to visit the Falkland Islands, and specifically Staats Island, part of the Beaver Island Group, you’ll spot not just the native Magellanic penguins, but also guanacos.

Why they were originally introduced to the Falklands is unclear, but we know guanacos were brought to East Falkland in the early 1860s, and were even hunted there in 1871. However, this attempt to establish them ultimately failed.

Most credit for the later, successful introduction of guanacos is given to Scotsman John Hamilton, who lived in Patagonia in the 1930s. In 1934, at the request of the Falklands government, 26 guanacos were shipped to the Falklands, and 15 were taken to Staats Island.

This small islet is still home to their descendants today. But there are now fears that the species is overgrazing the native tussac grass, which is an important habitat for native birds and seals.

What are baby guanacos called?