Guanaco

At the Detroit Zoo
The Detroit Zoo's guanaco herd shares its American Grasslands habitat with the collard peccaries west of the Ford Education Center. 

Description
The guanaco is slender with long legs and neck. Its dense, wooly coat varies in color from light brown, yellow or brownish-red. Its head, long ears and the nape of its neck are grey, while its legs, belly, back and rump are white. The guanaco has a cleft (split) upper lip, which helps it to grab food.

Scientific name: Lama guanicoe
Continent: South America
Habitat: Grasslands and shrublands within the Andes Mountains
Size: 5-6 feet long; 3-4 feet tall (at the shoulder)
Weight: 175-260 pounds
Diet: The guanaco is an herbivore and eats grasses, leaves and buds.
Reproduction: Gestation 11.5 months; single offspring
Lifespan: 15-20 years
Conservation Status: Least Concern

FUN FACTS

The guanaco is the ancestor of the llama.

Like the camel, the guanaco has padded toes that help with its footing on slippery surfaces such as gravel slopes.

The guanaco can spit up to 6 feet away and it rarely misses its target..