The guanaco (/ɡwɑːˈnɑːkoʊ/ ghwuah-NAH-koh;[3] Lama guanicoe) is a camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama.

[8] Their color varies very little (unlike the domestic llama), ranging from a light brown to dark cinnamon and shading to white underneath.

In Chile, hunting is allowed only in Tierra del Fuego, where the only population not classified as endangered in the country resides.

[10] Like all camels, Guanacos are herbivores, grazing on grasses, shrubs, herbs, lichens, fungi, cacti, and flowers.

The camels' digestive system is likely to have developed independently of ruminants, which is evidenced by the fact that the forestomachs are equipped with glands.

[1] In Argentina they are more numerous in Patagonian regions, as well as in places such as Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.

[16] Estimates, as of 2016, place their numbers around 1.5 to 2 million animals: 1,225,000–1,890,000 in Argentina, 270,000–299,000 in Chile, 3,000 in Peru, 150–200 in Bolivia and 20–100 in Paraguay.

A mountainous coastline running parallel to the desert enables them to survive in what are called "fog oases" or lomas.

Scientists attribute this to the unfavourable climatic conditions on the island, which are causing food to become scarce, weakening the animals.

The absence of pumas on Tierra del Fuego is also believed to be a factor that allows the fox to occupy their ecological niche.

Faced with the threat of the fox, guanacos resort to cooperative strategies to protect their young with a shield formation, a circle around the vulnerable.

[27][28] Mating season occurs between November and February,[citation needed] during which males often fight violently to establish dominance and breeding rights.

While not considered an endangered species in southern Argentina and Chile, dead guanacos are a common sight throughout this region where they are entangled on fences.

[32] The guanaco was independently domesticated by the Mapuche of Mocha Island in southern Chile, producing the chilihueque, which was bred for its wool and to pull the plough.