Domestic llamas and alpacas, which farmers raise for wool, all came from guanacos thousands of years ago. People in South America began choosing the friendliest, fluffiest guanacos and looking after them - and over hundreds of generations, those animals turned into llamas. The wild guanaco never stopped being wild.
Guanacos live in family groups led by one adult male. The female and the babies (called 'chulengos') stay together. Young males who grow up leave to form their own 'bachelor herds' until they are old enough to start their own families.
They are amazing runners and jumpers for such tall animals. A guanaco can run up to 60 km/h and easily jump over fences or rocks. Their padded feet are softer than horse hooves, so they hardly damage the grass they walk on.
Like all members of the llama family, guanacos can spit when they are annoyed. It isn't really spit - it is partly digested food from the stomach, and it smells terrible. They do this when other guanacos get too close to their food. So now you know.

