La vicuña del Perú, la lana más fina del mundo: The vicuña in its habitat, the Andes, high plateau and summits. Fabulous landscapes

The vicuña in its habitat, the Andes, high plateau and summits. Fabulous landscapes

The vicuna (Vicugna vicugna) is an artiodactyl mammal of the family of the camelids, a group of South American camelids that lives in the Andean highlands, which includes Peru, Ecuador, northern Argentina, western Bolivia, northeastern Chile . This species is distributed from 3200 masl, in the puna and uplands of cold and dry climate.

The vicuñas are herbivores, they feed on the plants of the Andean steppes and the puna; Its adaptation to this hostile and poor environment is admirable, as a consequence of the evolution of its physical characteristics and factors that help it to live, such as the pads on its legs, which protect from stones and do not erode the soil of the altiplano. By the way of feeding, they are called "low impact grazers", since the grasslands where they feed recover quickly. Vicuñas are "forced drinkers", they must drink every day, so they live near rivers, lagoons, steppes and grasslands that have small, greener and richer patches called vegas or "bofedales", and wet areas and areas without vegetation (peeling and salt). The most common plant species are tola, yareta, ichu and other grasses.

The vicuñas look for food where apparently there is nothing, but they are adapted to survive with little.

The vicuñas can wander through arid lands, also looking for food where it seems impossible that there was something. A vicuna is seen running through the salt flats of Uyuni, Bolivia

They are often found near lagoons, where vegetation is more abundant, but not with the variety or richness of the tropics. It is their habitat and their presence transforms the arid landscape into memorable visions.

The vicuñas, alone or in small family flocks, will always have as background of the vital scenario, the mountains of the puna, apparently hostile to life, although their presence there is already a miracle of life. Nature is wise and offers beautiful creations.

Now, let's see, the vicuñas at the top of the world, in the snow-capped mountains of Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile. It seems that this passage was created only so that they could highlight their beauty. The blue of the sky, the white of the snowy and occasionally the pale green of some herbs, contrasts harmoniously with the golden colors of this beautiful creature, pride of Peru and the South American countries where the magnificent Andes Mountains are imposed