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Article
Vicuna
Article By:
Potter, M. David School of Business, San Francisco State College, San Francisco, California.
Last reviewed:January 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.731800
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A rare animal, Vicugna vicugna, the smallest member of the family Camelidae, whose fiber is strong, resilient, and elastic, with exquisite fineness and beauty. The vicuna, or vicuña (see illustration), belongs to the family Camelidae in the mammalian order Artiodactyla (the even-toed ungulates). It is found in an almost inaccessible area of the Andes Mountains in South America, at altitudes of 4875–5800 m (16,000–19,000 ft). The vicuna, one of the rarest of animals, is less than 0.9 m (3 ft) in height and weighs 34–45.5 kg (75–100 lb). See also: Alpaca; Artiodactyla; Camel; Llama; Mammalia; South America
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