# Vicuña (*Lama vicugna*) The vicuña is a gentle animal that lives in the high mountains of South America. They have soft, warm fur and are known for their graceful running and beautiful appearance. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Mountain regions ![Vicuña](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Vicunacrop.jpg&width=800) Photo: Alexandre Buisse ( Nattfodd ), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vicunacrop.jpg) ## Appearance The Vicuña is a slender, graceful camelid with a golden-cinnamon coat on its back and a distinctive shaggy white bib of fur on its chest. It has a long neck, large expressive eyes, and long, thin legs. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Artiodactyla - **Family:** Camelidae - **Genus:** Vicugna ## Interesting facts - Baby vicuñas, called crias, can stand and run within 15 minutes of being born! - They build communal "dung piles" which they use to mark their territory boundaries. - Vicuñas can only drink fresh water and must be near a water source every day. - Vicuñas spit at each other to show they are annoyed, just like their camel cousins! ## Special abilities - **High-Altitude Runner:** Vicuñas can run incredibly fast and gracefully in thin mountain air because their large heart and lungs help them absorb oxygen efficiently. - **Super Soft Coat:** Vicuñas have an incredibly fine, dense wool coat that traps air, helping them stay warm in the freezing temperatures of their mountain home. - **Ever-Growing Teeth:** Vicuñas have unique incisor teeth that grow continuously, letting them crop tough, short mountain grasses without wearing their teeth down. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 125-190 cm - **Weight:** 35-65 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1 - **Gestation:** 330-350 days ## Diet & Feeding Vicuñas are strict vegetarians, munching on tough mountain grasses and various plants. - **Primary Foods:** grasses, forbs, low-lying herbs, cushion plants - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Puma (*Puma concolor*) — Pumas prey on adult and young vicuñas in the Andean mountains. - **Eaten by:** Andean Fox (*Lycalopex culpaeus*) — Andean foxes primarily hunt young vicuñas, known as crias. - **Depends on:** Ichu Grass (*Festuca orthophylla*) — This tough mountain grass is a primary food source for grazing vicuñas. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Mountain](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/mountain): This habitat trait identifies species found in mountainous regions, characterized by high elevation, steep slopes, and varying climate zones. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Threatened](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/threatened): Threatened status denotes a species likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future without effective conservation interventions. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch from a distance and never try to touch wild animals like vicuñas. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Vicuña? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Vicuña? 125-190 cm ### How much does Vicuña weigh? 35-65 kg ### How long does Vicuña live? 15-20 years ### How fast can Vicuña move? 50 km/h ### What does Vicuña eat? Vicuñas are strict vegetarians, munching on tough mountain grasses and various plants. ### Where is Vicuña usually found? Mountain regions ### How does Vicuña hunt? Grazing ## Where to spot - [Zoologická zahrada Děčín - Pastýřská stěna](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoologick-zahrada-d-n-past-sk-st-na) — Ústí nad Labem Region, CZ · Zoo - [Tierpark Luckenwalde](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tierpark-luckenwalde) — Brandenburg, DE · Zoo ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Vicuña: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/vicu%C3%B1a)