vicuña

1. A llamalike ruminant mammal (Vicugna vicugna) of the central Andes, having fine silky fleece.
2. 1. The fleece of this mammal.
   2. Fabric made from the fleece of this mammal.

[Spanish, from Quechua wikuña.]

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Vicugna vicugna

TAXONOMY

Vicugna vicugna (Molina, 1782), Chile. One subspecies.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

French: Vigogne; German: Vikunja; Spanish: Vicuña.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Average height of 3 ft (90 cm) at the shoulder and weighs 99.2 lb (45 kg). Has a slender body, with a relatively long neck. The fur on the chest is long, of an off-white color, which serves to protect the animal when it is resting on the ground. The neck, back, and sides are a light brown color. The ventral and inner thigh surfaces are white. The head is relatively small, with prominent ears and eyes; the lower lip has a central crevice. The lower incisors of vicuña are unique among the Artiodactyla, because they are always growing and have the enamel on only one side. Sometimes, the canines are absent in the lower jaw. The front premolars are simple and usually separated from the other cheek teeth.

DISTRIBUTION

In the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

HABITAT

Inhabits semiarid grasslands and plains at elevations ranging 11,480–18,860 ft (3,500–5,750 m) in the Andes.

BEHAVIOR

Territorial males maintain family groups consisting of the male adult and subadults, females, and young less than one year of age. Adult males without territories form non-reproductive groups, composed of subadult males from one to four years of age that have been expelled from their family groups and of aging males that have lost their territories. Establishes and defends a year-round feeding territory and a separate sleeping territory.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

A grazer; its diet consists of almost all perennial grasses.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

May be polygamous. Mating occurs in March and April, and births take place in February and March. The gestation period lasts 330–350 days, and a single young weighs 8.8–13.2 lb (4–6 kg) at birth. The young can stand and walk 15 minutes after being born. Most females mate at about two years, and some are reproductive until 19 years old.

CONSERVATION STATUS

The entire population remains Vulnerable, according to the IUCN Red List. Certain populations are on the CITES Convention, with the provision that only cloth woven from the sheared wool of a live vicuña may be traded. Otherwise, the vicuña is on Appendix I of the CITES Convention.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

Vicuña produces one the finest wools in the world. Today, vicuña fiber is preferred for weaving fine cloaks and the cloths obtained from it are expensive in the international markets. At present, Peru and Chile have sustainable use programs based in the capturing, shearing, and release of these wild animals.

However, this sustainable use is allowed only on those populations placed in Appendix II of the CITES Convention.

A rare animal whose fiber makes the world's most costly and most exquisite cloth, surpassing all others in fineness and beauty. It is found in an almost inaccessible area of the Andes Mountains.

A single animal yields only approximately ¼ lb (0.11 kg) of hair; thus 40 animals are required to provide enough hair for the average coat. The fiber of the vicuna is the softest and most delicate of the known animal fibers; yet it is strong for its weight, is resilient, and has a marked degree of elasticity and surface cohesion. See also Alpaca; Camel's hair; Cashmere; Llama; Mohair; Natural fiber; Wool.

A species of wild llama. A small compact form, fast disappearing because of uncontrolled hunting. Their fur is much in demand for heavy fabrics. Called also Lama vicugna (syn. Vicugna vicugna).