Guanacos in Los Glaciares National Park, Patagonia, Argentina
© Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott/Minden Picture
Living the high life. National Llama Day
Strap on your hiking boots because it's National Llama Day! December 9 is a designated day to appreciate these intelligent and trainable creatures. You'll need to visit the Andes Mountains to see their wild cousins, guanacos. Guanacos are believed to have originated in the central plains of North America 40 million years ago, but they gradually migrated to South America. Scientists think llamas descended from guanacos and were first domesticated around 4500 BCE.
As seen in today's image, guanacos are often spotted roaming free in Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina, sporting dark cinnamon-colored wool and cartoonish-looking faces. Cute as they are, they can be a bit rude: Both guanacos and llamas defend themselves by spitting to assert dominance within their herd or to keep intrusive peers at bay. Don't let this deter you from going on an organized llama trek though—they can make for great pack animal companions!
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