The vicuña baby, lovely creature of the Andes

The vicuña baby, lovely creature of the Andes

The vicuna (Vicugna vicugna) is a species of artiodactyl mammal, family of the camelids and the group of South American camelids that lives in the Andean highlands, in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and in the Andean highlands of Peru, a country that It has the largest population of the species.

The vicuñas are the smallest camelids, weigh between 40 and 50 kg and have a length of 80 cm. They are wild, beige or vicuña (light reddish brown) on the white back in the central zone and the legs, with variations according to the geographical areas where they live. The fiber of its wool is among the finest in the world, with 15 microns in diameter. The fur is dense, formed by thin fibers that grow close together, to protect the animal from cold, rain and wind.

The dominant male is the only one that can mate with the females in the herd; however, the leader changes very often. Males without a partner, strong and healthy will fight with the dominant leaders to have that position.

The mating occurs in March and April, then the clutch lasts 11 months. There is usually only one baby, occasionally there may be 2 newborns for each birth. The calf is standing only 15 minutes after birth, they feed on milk for about 10 months, but they remain with the mother until 18 months of age. The social organization of the vicuña is characterized by the existence of family groups, groups of singles and solitary males. In family groups, a single dominant male leads a group of females and juveniles up to ten individuals. Non-dominant males become solitary or join large flocks of bachelors. They are sexually mature in two years.

Vicuna babies are beautiful and graceful creatures, but they must remain for safety always with the mother and other members of the group. For different reasons, they can be separated from the mother or family group, so they are victims of predators. Sometimes, they are lucky and are rescued and cared for by people, who must then return them to return to their natural habitat. By law, you can not have vicuñas in captivity.