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The guanaco (Figure 1.4) has the broadest distribution, both historically and currently, of the four SACs. Four geographic variants of guanaco have been described, ranging from sea level in Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost tip of South America to 4600 m in the Andes [8, 10, 13]. The northernmost populations exist at latitude 8° south in Peru (Figure 1.5). Guanacos live in both migratory and sedentary groups [16]. Captive‐born guanacos may be tamed and handled similarly to llamas; the Incas used them as pack animals [8]. All guanaco subspecies share uniform coloration: a dark brown upper body, neck, and limbs with whitish fiber on the underside of the neck and belly and a grayish to black face [8]. However, their size varies based on geographic distribution with the smallest being from the low‐ and mid‐latitudes and the largest animals in the higher latitudes such as Tierra del Fuego [10].

Vicuña distribution is limited to the puna (Quechua for highland) life zone of the Andes (elevation 4200–4800 m) [14]. The vicuña (Figures 1.6 and 1.7) is the smallest of the SACs and has the finest fiber coat [10]. It has a cinnamon‐colored coat, white underparts, a pale cinnamon face, and a bib of white hair on the chest. There are two geographic subspecies of vicuña: the Peruvian, with long white hairs on the bib, and the Argentinian, with shorter hairs on the bib. In Incan civilizations, the vicuña was considered the property of the kings, and only royalty were allowed to wear garments made from their fiber.

Figure 1.3 (a) Wild Bactrian camel from the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. (b) Multiple wild Bactrian camels are pictured here. The wild Bactrian camel is considered to be critically endangered today and is only found in a narrow region in southern Mongolia.

Source: Used by permission from George B. Schaller, Wildlife Conservation Society.

Table 1.1 Taxonomic classification of common Artiodactyla^a.

Common Name	Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Suborder	Family	Genius	Species	Subspecies
Dromedary Camel	Animalia	Chordata	Mammalia	Artiodactyla	Tylopoda	Camelidae	Camelus	dromedarius
Bactrian Camel	bactrianus
Wild (Mongolian) Bactrian Camel	ferus
Alpaca	Vicugna	pacos
Vicuña (Argentine)	vicugna	vicugna
Vicuña (Peruvian)	mensalis
Llama	Lama	glama
Guanaco	guanicoe
Cattle b	Ruminantiac	Bovidae	Bos	taurus b
Sheep	Ovis	aries	d
Goat e	Capra	aegagrus	hircus e
Deer	Cervidae	Odocoileus	virginianus
Pig	Suiformes	Suidae	Sus	domesticus
Hippopotamus f	Hippopotamidae	Hippopotamus	amphibius

^a Does not include all the Artiodactylids but includes the most common to highlight the general relationship between camelids and other Artiodactylids.

^b Common American/European cattle. Indian (“humped”) cattle are classified Bos indicus or Bos taurus indicus .

^c Members of the suborder “Ruminantia” are often referred to as “true ruminants” however members of the Tylopoda (camelids) are also foregut fermenters and therefore undergo a process termed “rumination” and therefore camelids can be referred to as “ruminants.”

^d Multiple subspecies classified.

^e Domestic Goat. Some sources classify this as simply C. hircus. Multiple species (subspecies) classified.

^f Though hippopotamus is classified as a suiformes, it has a three‐chambered gastric compartment, different than Suidae.

Figure 1.4 Guanaco (

Source: Photo courtesy of Dr. Benji Alcantar at Wildlife Safari

).

Figure 1.5 Geographic distribution of undomesticated SAC's [14, 15].

Figure 1.6 Peruvian vicuña. Note the long bib hair on their ventral chest (

Source: Photo courtesy of Dr. Gianmarco Rojas Moreno at the Parque Zoologico Huachipa – Perú

).

Figure 1.7 Argentine vicuña. Argentine vicuña's have short bib hair.

Figure 1.8 Heavily fibered huacaya alpaca.

The two breeds of alpaca; huacaya (Figures 1.8 and 1.9) and suri (Figure 1.10), have both become popular in the United States. Alpacas are separated on the basis of fiber coat characteristics. In Peru, 90% are of the huacaya breed. Huacaya fiber is shorter than that of the suri breed and is crimped and spongy, giving it the appearance of Corriedale sheep wool [17, 18]. The coat of suri alpacas consists of long fibers with no crimp that hang down alongside the body in ringlets or dreadlocks. Alpaca coloration varies from white to black with intermediate shades and combinations. The alpaca is the primary SAC fiber producer of the Andean highland.

Similarly to alpacas, the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century led to a rapid decline in the number and the geographic distribution of llamas in South America. While smaller groups of llamas presently live in Ecuador and Columbia, the largest number of llamas are found between 11° south latitude and 21° south latitude in higher elevations [19]. Two breeds are recognized in Peru: the woolier varieties are called “ch'aku” in Quechua (Figure 1.11), and those individuals with less fiber on the neck and body are called “q'ara” (wooless) (Figure 1.12) [17].

Tables 1.2 and 1.3 outline general similarities and differences between South American camelids.

Figure 1.9 Huacaya alpaca female.

Figure 1.10 Suri alpaca.