The Vicuna is the smallest member of the camel family, and they don’t have a hump. They are more graceful and smaller then Guanaco. Their fur is softer and warmer than any other animal. They produce about one pound of wool a year. The upper body is reddish brown or yellow to deep tan, and the stomach and lower legs are white. The fleece grows until it hangs below the knees and flanks. Their thick fur can trap warm air close to the body so that they can live through the freezing nights. The Vicuna measures about 5ft wide, and around 3ft tall. Vicuna’s weigh around 75-140 pounds.

 

Vicunas live generally near snowline, and the Andes Mountains of Bolivia, Peru, South America camelids, and Chile, southwest Colombia, central Ecuador and northwest Argentina in areas from 12,000-18,000 feet. Peru has the largest numbers. The Guanaco and Vicuna are mostly the wild members of the Camel family while the Llama and Alpaca are domesticated. Vicunas live in grasslands and plains of mountain regions. In these areas mostly tough bunch grasses and Festuca grow. They live in areas that are warm and sunny during the day and can drop to freezing by night. The Vicuna is endangered and is currently being protected by the law.

 

There were only 6,000 of them left during 1974 before they were declared endangered. They became endangered because there was unrestricted hunting and that’s what caused their numbers to drop to only 6,000 in the 1960s. They were declared endangered in 1974 and it is illegal to trade Vicuna fiber. Their numbers grew because Peru, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia all relaxed on Vicuna fiber in 1993. Their numbers have increased, and the IUCN still support protecting Vicunas but, the IUCN have lowered them to least concern, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified them and most populations are threatened, and Ecuador calls them endangered. Today their numbers stand at 125,000.

 

Vicunas are vegetarians. Their diet consists mainly of grasses. Sometimes they will lick stones and rocks that have a lot of salt in them. They all must drink water, but they will also drink salt water.

 

Their main hunters are humans. They are mainly just hunted for there fur. Their fiber is very expensive. They are very valuable because they can only be sheared every 3 years. Vicuna fabrics and yarns go for $1,800-$3,000 per yard! A man’s coat can go for $20,000!

 

Author: Brittany A.

Published: 02/2009

 

Sources: Elementary School, Students of West Tisbury. "Vicunas." Blue Planet Biomes. 7 Nov. 06. 16 Feb. 09. Innis, Dagg Anne. Vicuna. U&V ed. Vol. 20. Chicago. "Vicuna." Wikipedia. Feb. 08. 4 Feb. 09.

 

Photo Source: Cropped from Image: Vicuna near Arequipa.jpg Date: 2007/10/05 Author: Alexandre Buisse (Nattfodd)