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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
High up in the Andes Mountains, four unique animals have adapted to life at altitude: llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos. These remarkable camelids are not only symbols of South America’s rich cultural heritage but also vital to the survival of indigenous communities, both in ancient times and today.
Often confused with each other, these animals differ in size, behavior, and even the quality of their luxurious wool. From the domesticated llamas that carried Inca goods across rugged terrain, to the wild and elusive vicuñas whose fine fleece was once reserved for royalty, each camelid plays its own role in the story of the Andes.
In this guide, we explore how to tell them apart, their unique characteristics, and where you’re most likely to spot them in the Ecuadorian highlands and beyond.
The Llama is the domesticated form of a guanaco. It is probably the most well-known of the family.
It is also the tallest and heaviest of the south american camels.
It is mostly used for its packing abilities, as well as their fur, their wool being used for ponchos, blankets, and everything that keeps you warm.
They are very friendly animals, but be careful: they spit when threatened!!!
The Alpaca is the domesticated form of the vicuña. It is mostly confused with the larger and heavier llama. Alpacas were not bred to be working animals, but for their fibre. Its fur gets classified in more than 50 colors, being of higher quality than the llama’s, and being used for all kinds of fabrics.
Alpacas can spit, too, though!
Vicuñas are wild and undomesticated.
They are the more delicate, smaller and gracile of the four breeds.
They are pretty shy and live mostly above 3800 meters.
Fabrics made out of vicuña wool, if you can even find it, ranges in the absolute high-class and is not easily affordable.
Guanacos don’t live in Ecuador, more in the southern regions of the continent, at around 4000 meters in Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia.
They are wild, undomesticated, having spread out meanwhile up north to Peru.
Natural predators of the guanaco include pumas and foxes. When threatened, they alert the rest of the herd with a high-pitched bleating sound, which sounds similar to a short, sharp laugh.
Side note: There are also camelid hybrids, such as the Huarizo (male llama and a female alpaca) or the Llamanaco (cross between guanaco and llama).
These cross breedings are usually sterile themselves.
In the 15th century, during the Inca empire, llamas and alpacas were of massive importance as a wool and meat source, as well as work animals.
By the time the Spanish conquistadors arrived, around 10 million camelids were held by the Inca. In the following century they were reduced by approximately 90%, mostly because they were slowly replaced by horses and sheep.
Today, there are around 3 million Llamas, Alpacas, Guanacos and Vicunas living on the South American continent, mostly in the high altitudes of the Andes. Due to their good-natured and gentle character, llamas are also used as therapy animals.
Last but not least, tips for your safety around them:
They don’t bite and won’t eat you, they are vegetarians.
They spit when they’re agitated, but that’s mostly at each other. They also kick and neck wrestle each other when angry.
But, absolutely cute and fun to have around!
