I recently posted about the camels of South America and how they evolved. I wanted to share a few more photos from 5,000 meters in the Andes mountain range.
The vicunas are the highest living camelid species in the world. They live in family groups made up of one alpha make to around 7 females.
The alpha male is highly territorial and patrols his territory to give his family the best feeding grounds. When the young male vicunas reach 1 the alpha male expels them from the group and they have to fend for themselves, often forming "bachelor herds".
Vicunas in the Altiplano
As the young bachelor males get a bit older they will challenge other dominant males to try and take over a family of their own. However, the alpha male will defend his territory with all his might. Having seen these fights firsthand I can say, you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of a male vicuna!