Macrauchenia

Macrauchenia (Macrauchenia patachonica) was an unusual looking animal that looked like a llama. Macrauchenia meant "long llama". They were mammals, in a group called the litoptern group. Macrauchenia were herbivores, so they fed on trees.

Macrauchenia have no living relatives. They didn't look a lot like any modern animals, either. They were fast animals. Their most dangerous enemy is the Smilodon. They were normally fast enough to escape, but sooner or later, one ill-fated Macrauchenia gets caught.

They were about 1.5 metres at the shoulder. The fossils were discovered by Charles Darwin. Many Macrauchenia fossils were found in Argentina. All of them lived in South America. They looked quite peculiar. The Macrauchenia were the last of the litoptern family. So now, they have no descendants. Macrauchenia weren't exactly successful creatures, but the litopterns lived for a long time, so they could be called somewhat successful creatures.