Species of domesticated South American ruminant occupying the upper Andes and closely allied to the llama and alpaca. Their silky wool is used for textile fabrics. Most vicuñas inhabit Peru, with smaller numbers found in Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Some classification place the vicuña in the Lama genus, but because of differences in the incisor teeth, most authorities now place the vicuña in the Vicugna genus.
