Mammals · Artiodactyla · Camelidae

Vicuna

Vicugna vicugna

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

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The wild relative of the llama and the alpaca, it produces one of the finest and most valuable fibres in the world.

Weight

35 kg – 65 kg

Size

1.5 m – 1.6 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Herd

Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Estimated population

Some 347,000 animals in total: around 188,000 in Peru, 127,000 in Argentina, 63,000 in Bolivia, 17,000 in Chile and 2,700 in Ecuador (a population introduced in 1988); the species fell below 10,000 animals in the 1960s

MountainHerbivore Diurnal In herds Mountain Mammal

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Fun facts

Its wool is among the most expensive in the world.
It lives in the Andes at over 4,000 metres.
It was the sacred animal of the Incas.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Cold, semi-arid alpine puna of the Andes, between 3,000 and 4,800 m
Birth weight: Born precocial, on its feet within about 15 minutes
Size at birth: Born precocial
Sexual maturity: Female: ~2 years (some are still breeding at 19) | Male: ~3 years
Gestation / incubation: ~11 months (330-350 days)
Litter / clutch size: 1 young per birth
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 24 years

Sources consulted: A-Z Animals; Britannica; Animals.net; Animalia.bio; Dimensions.com; Exploringnature.org; StudyGuides.com; BioDB; Twycross Zoo; Acebes et al. 2018, IUCN Red List e.T22956A18540534: catalogada como Preocupación menor por su amplia distribución, su tamaño poblacional y su tendencia creciente || IUCN Red List, evaluación de Vicugna vicugna de 2018; Animal Diversity Web