The Crossword Solver found answer to “Alpacas’ cousins”, 6 letters crossword clue. The Crossword Solver finds answers to American-style crosswords, British-style crosswords, general knowledge crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles.
Answer : VICUNA
vicuna, Vicugna vicugna – n
small wild cud-chewing Andean animal similar to the guanaco but smaller; valued for its fleecy undercoat
vicuña, (Vicugna vicugna), smallest member of the camel family, Camelidae (order Artiodactyla). The vicuña is closely related to the guanaco (Lama guanicoe), llama (L. glama), and alpaca (Vicugna pacos)—all of which are known collectively as lamoids—and it is the alpaca’s wild ancestor. Most vicuñas inhabit Peru, with smaller numbers found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina. The subspecies V. vicugna mensalis inhabits the wetter habitatsin the northern part of the vicuña’s range, whereas the subspecies V. vicugna vicugna lives in drier regions located in the southern part.
The vicuña is covered with a remarkably long, fine, soft, and lustrous coat that varies in colour from light cinnamon to a pale white, with long white fleece hanging from the lower flanks and the base of the neck. The annual yield of fleecesheared from domesticated vicuñas shows a wide range of from 85 to 550 grams (3 to 20 ounces) per animal. Vicuña fibre is strong and resilient, but it is highly sensitive to chemicals and is generally used in its natural colour. The costly fibre is made into high-priced coats, dressing gowns, and shawls. The vicuña’s dense silky fleece, once reserved for the Incan nobility, provides excellent insulation against the temperature fluctuations the animal encounters in its natural habitat: semiarid grasslands in the central Andes at altitudes of 3,600–4,800 metres (12,000–16,000 feet).
Related posts:
