DECEMBER
December is a photo of a guanaco - (guan-A-co) - a camelid, but not a llama, not an alpaca, and not a vicuña. So what's the difference, you may well ask! All are from the species camelid, with the guanaco and the vicuña being wild, while the llama and the alpaca have been domesticated. All live in the southern altiplano of South America, with the guanaco being found further south. This one was photographed in the Torres del Paine National Park in Argentina. Llamas, descended from the guanacos, are the largest, and are primarily used as pack animals as its wool is not as fine as the alpaca. The wool from the smaller alpaca is quite soft and makes wonderful sweaters, etc. The wild vicuña has an even finer wool, and due to this, and its relative scarcity, is quite expensive. The guanaco has a coarse coat and is not prized for its wool, like the vicuña. This video explains in more detail the similarities and differences among the four: ...