Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) Fact Sheet: Reproduction & Development

• Male reproductive strategy is to defend a safe territory with high quality vegetation capable of attracting females
  
• 3 basic social groups form during breeding season (Franklin, 1982)
  
• Family harems
  
• Non-reproductive male groups (immature males, yearlings evicted from family groups, and old or
  injured males)
  
• Solitary males – not yet capable of attracting females and reproducing
  
• Bands of adult females with young, move between male territories from middle to late mating season

• Reproductive cycle coincides with best environmental conditions after rainy season
  
• Ovulation is induced by copulation

Gestation

• 11.5 months

Parturition

• Varies with latitude
  • North of Peru – April to June
  • Chilean Patagonia – Mid November to end of January
  • Coast of Northern Chile – Throughout the year
• Concentration of births during a few weeks is an anti-predator strategy (pumas can only take a limited number of young)     

Birth

• Weight: 7-15 kg (15-33 lb)
• Single offspring – about 10% of mother’s weight.
• Month varies with latitude.
• In Patagonia nearly 80% of births occur during day (newborn dries faster).
• Predation, starvation, weather, accidents can result in up to 70% mortality.

Neonates

• Exhibit “follower” behavior.
• Able to stand 5-76 minutes after birth.

Infant (< 1 year old)

• Forage intake begins 2-4 weeks.
• Weaning at 3-4 months
• Young stay with mother for 1 year (known as chulengos)

Yearlings

• 1-2 years old.
• Males forcibly ejected by territorial males, females remain.

Adult

• Females reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age.
• Males sexually mature at 3 years of age.
• Males are unable to defend a territory until fully grown (3-4 years).

Wild populations

• Not well studied, but see survivorship curves and life table in Raedeke (1979)

Managed care

• No AZA estimates

Gonzalez, et al (2006)
Franklin (1982)
Fowler (1998)