Authors

Ramiro Arias - Valentin Castellote - Franco Jesus Eduardo Mario Segundo Del Gesso Araceli Ruiz

Vicuña

The vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) or vicugna is one of two wild South American camelids, along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of thellama, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their fibre. Vicuñas produce small amounts of extremely fine wool, which is very expensive because the animal can only be shorn every 3 years. When knitted together, the product of the vicuña's fur is very soft and warm. It is understood that the Inca valued vicuñas for their wool, and that it was against the law for any but royalty to wear vicuña garments.

Both under the rule of the Inca and today, vicuñas have been protected by law. Before being declared endangered in 1974, only about 6,000 animals were left. Today, the vicuña population has recovered to about 350,000, and while conservation organizations have reduced its level of threat, they still call for active conservation programs to protect population levels from poaching, habitat loss, and other threats.

The vicuña is the national animal of Peru; its emblem is used on the Peruvian coat of armsrepresenting the animal kingdom.

Description

The vicuña is considered more delicate and graceful than the guanaco, and smaller. A key distinguishing element of morphology are the better developed incisor roots for the guanaco.^[3]Its long, woolly coat is tawny brown on the back while the hair on the throat and chest is white and quite long. The head is slightly shorter than the guanaco's and the ears are slightly longer. The length of head and body ranges from 1.45 to 1.60 m (about 5 ft); shoulder height from 75 to 85 cm (around 3 ft); weight from 35 to 65 kg (under 150 lb).

To prevent poaching, there is a round up every year, and all vicuñas with fur longer than 2.5 cm are shorn.

Distribution

Vicuñas live exclusively in South America, primarily in the central Andes. They are native to Peru, northwest Argentina, Bolivia and north Chile, and there is a smaller, introduced population in central Ecuador. Peru has the largest number.

Habitat

Vicuñas live at an altitude of 3,200 to 4,800 metres.^[1] They feed in daytime on the grassy plains of the Andes Mountains, but spend the nights on the slopes. In these areas, only nutrient-poor, tough bunch grasses and Festuca grow. The sun's rays are able to penetrate the thin atmosphereproducing relatively warm temperatures during the day; however, the temperatures drop down to freezing at night. The vicuña's thick but soft coat is a special adaptation which traps layers of warm air close to its body so it can tolerate freezing temperatures.

Behavior

The behavior of vicuñas is similar to that of the guanacos. They are very shy animals, and are easily aroused by intruders, due, among other things, to their extraordinary hearing. Like the guanacos, they will frequently lick calcareous stones and rocks, which are rich in salt, and will also drink salt wateR. Their diet consists mainly of low grasses which grow in clumps on the ground.

Vicuñas live in family-based groups made up of a male, 5 to 15 females and their young. Each group has its own territory of about 18 km², which can fluctuate depending on the availability of food.

Mating usually occurs in March–April, and after a gestation period of about 11 months, the female gives birth to a single fawn, which is nursed for about 10 months. The fawn becomes independent at about 12 to 18 months. Young males will form bachelor groups and the young females search for a sorority to join. Along with preventing intraspecific competition, this also prevents inbreeding, which can cause a population bottleneck in endangered species as observed with cheetahs.

Ñandú

Rheas are large, flightless birds with gray-brown plumage, long legs and long necks, similar to an ostrich. Males of R. americana can reach 1.50 metres, and weigh up to 40 kilograms. Their wings are large for a flightless bird and are spread while running, to act like sails. Unlike most birds, rheas have only three toes. Their tarsus has horizontal plates on the front of it. They also store urine separately in an expansion of the cloaca.

 Behavior

Rheas tend to be silent birds with the exception being when they are chicks or when the male is seeking a mate. During the non-breeding season they may form flocks of between 10 and 100 birds, although the lesser rhea forms smaller flocks than this. When in danger they flee in a zig-zag course, utilizing first one wing then the other, similar to a rudder. During breeding season the flocks break up.


Diet
They are omnivorous and prefer to eat broad-leafed plants, but also eat seeds, roots, fruit, lizards, beetles, grasshoppers, and carrion.


Human Interaction
Rheas have many uses in South America. Feathers are used for feather dusters, skins are used for cloaks or leather, and their meat is a staple to many people.

Tatu Carreta

Scientific name: Priodontes maximus.

Other common names Armadillo. Peludo o Tatú gigante. Tatú guazú. Tatú-canasta.

Overview and Features.
It is a large mammal. It measures 1.50 to 1.60 m. long. including the tail. Can weigh up to 50-60 kg.
The shell consists of many plates, the smallest are in the tail andlegs. The general coloration is brown. being yellow on the flanks.The snout is elongated and the ears are not very large. In the handshave large nails are long. The female has two breasts.

Behavior.
It feeds on earthworms, carrion, termites, ants, insect larvae, smallsnakes. It is crepuscular or nocturnal and solitary walk. With thefront claws, which occupies large caves dug for shelter. Have a baby at birth.

Habitat.
Chaco forest with xerophytic vegetation.

Geographical distribution.
From eastern Venezuela, the Guianas, southern Colombia,eastern Peru and Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil.
In Argentina, the Chaco region of Salta, Formosa, Chaco andSantiago del Estero. Formerly extended further south.

Causes for the decline.
Is pursued by hunters to consume meat. Captured to take to zoos,museums, collectors, or to fill the shell as a sounding board ortaxidermy exhibit.

Curiosities.
The meat of this animal is eaten roasted or baked. Like theirrelatives the children (hairy armadillos).
The fat is used in native medicine for muscle and joint pains.Individual members of this family in the indigenous beliefs, a good concept. so they say these animals were the first to "turn the earth"with their sharp claws and they are very good and intelligent.

Tapir

Size varies between types, but most tapirs are about 2 metres long, stand about a metre high at the shoulder, and weigh between 150 and 300 kg. Coats are short and range in color from reddish-brown to grey to nearly black, with the notable exceptions of the Malayan Tapir, which has a white saddle-shaped marking on its back, and the Mountain Tapir, which has longer, woolly fur. All tapirs have oval, white-tipped ears, rounded, protruding rumps with stubby tails, and splayed, hoofed toes, with four toes on the front feet and three on the hind feet, which help them to walk on muddy and soft ground. Baby tapirs of all types have striped-and-spotted coats for camouflage. Females have a single pair of mammary glands.

The Llama.

The height of a full-grown, full-size llama is between 1.7 meters (5.5 ft) and 1.8 meters (6 ft) tall at the top of the head. They can weigh between approximately 130 kilograms (280 lb) and 200 kilograms (450 lb). At birth, a baby llama (called a cria) can weigh between 9.1 kilograms (20 lb) and 14 kilograms (30 lb). Llamas are very social animals and like to live with other llamas as a herd. Overall, the fiber produced by a llama is very soft and is naturally lanolin free. Llamas are intelligent and can learn simple tasks after a few repetitions. When using a pack, llamas can carry about 25% to 30% of their body weight for several miles

Llamas appear to have originated from the central plains of North America about 40 million years ago. They migrated to South America about 3 million years ago. By the end of the last ice age (10,000–12,000 years ago) camelids were extinct in North America. As of 2007, there were over 7 million llamas and alpacas in South America and, due to importation from South America in the late 20th century, there are now over 158,000 llamas and 100,000 alpacas in the US and Canada.