GUANACO

This article appears in Volume V12, Page 649 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: GRA-GUI

GUANACO , sometimes spelt Huanaca, the larger of the two wild representatives in

South

SOUTH
SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

America of the camel tribe; the other being the vicugna. The guanaco (Lama huanacus), which stands nearly 4 ft. at the

shoulder

SHOULDER (in O.E. sculder, cognate with Ger. Schulter, Dutch schouder, Swed. skuldra, &c; the root is unknown)

, is an elegant creature, with gracefully curved neck and long slender legs, the hind-pair of the latter bearing two naked patches or callosities. The head and

body

BODY

are covered with long soft

hair

HAIR (a word common to Teutonic languages)

of a fawn colour above and almost pure white beneath. Guanaco are found throughout the southern half of

South

SOUTH
SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

America, from Peru in the north to Cape Horn in the south, but occur in greatest abundance in Patagonia. They live in herds usually of from six to thirty, although these occasionally contain several hundreds, while solitary
= while s are sometimes
met. They are ex-
Head of Guanaco. ceedingly timid, and
therefore wary and
difficult of approach; like many other ruminants, however, their curiosity sometimes overcomes their timidity, so as to bring them within range of the hunter's rifle. Their cry is peculiar, being something between the belling of a deer and the neigh of a horse. The

chief

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

enemies of the guanaco are the Patagonian Indians and the puma, as it forms the principal food of both. Its flesh is palatable although wanting in fat, while its skin forms the

chief

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

clothing material of the Patagonians. Guanaco are readily domesticated, and in this state become very bold and will attack man, striking him from behind with both knees. In the wild state they never defend themselves, and if approached from different points, according to the Indian fashion of

hunting

HUNTING (the verbal substantive from " hunt "; O. Eng. huntian, hunta; apparently connected with O. Eng. hentan, Gothic hinpan, to capture, O.H.G. hunda,booty)

, get completely bewildered and fall an easy

prey

PREY (0. Fr. preie, mod. proie, Lat. praeda, booty, from prae and the root hed—seen in prehendere, prendere, to grasp)

. They take readily to the
water, and have been observed

swimming

SWIMMING (from " swim," A.S. swimman, the root being common in Teutonic languages)

from one

island

ISLAND (O.E. ieg =isle, +land')

to another, while they have been seen drinking salt-water. They have a habit of depositing their droppings during successive days on the same spota habit appreciated by the Peruvian Indians, who use those deposits for fuel. Guanaco also have favourite localities in which to die, as appears from the

great

GREAT

heaps of their bones found in particular spots.

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