Kinkajou

Potos flavus

 

 

 

Physical Characteristics:

I look like a cross between a baby bear cub in the face and an otter in the body.  I have thick, soft, honey brown fur and a prehensile tail with faint dark rings one it.  My tongue is very long and flexible which allows me to extract the nectar from flowers.  I have a wide range of calls from soft chitters to a shrill scream.  The palms of my hands and feet are bare.

 

Where am I from? I am native to the rainforests of Central and South America where temperatures range from 70 - 100 degrees.  I sleep all day in holes in the trees and move about the tree canopy at night.  I am arboreal, seldom coming to the ground.

 

 

Who are my relatives?

I am mammal of the order Carnivora, although I eat primarily fruits.  My family is Procyonidae which includes the raccoon, coatimundis,  red pandas, olingos and cacomistles

 

How am I born? 

I am born in a dark den with my eyes and ears closed and a bare underside.  My mother is very protective, carrying me around on her belly upside down in times of danger. I nurse for 3 to 5 weeks.  At 12 weeks I can use my prehensile tail, walk, eat solid food, see and hear.

 

How long does it take me to grow up and how long do I live?   

If I am a male I will reach maturity at 1.5 years but if a female at 2.5 years. I may live for as long as 24 years in captivity and reach a weight of 6.5 lbs.  My body can get up to 1.5 feet with an 18" tail.

 

What kind of family life do I have?

We have somewhat of an unusual family structure.  It is usually the female young who will leave the group and the “home” is passed down from father to son.  It appears that a typical family would consist of a female, two males, a sub adult and a juvenile. We sleep and groom each other but usually forage separately. 

 

What do I eat and when do I eat?

I am nocturnal, coming out at night to search for food.  I exist almost entirely on fruit.  My favorite is wild figs.  I get most of my water from the fruit I eat.  I may be allergic to strawberries and dairy products are not good for me.  I also don’t care for citrus fruits.

           

Who are my predators?

I have several different predators including the ocelot, tayra, fox, jaguarundi, margay, birds of prey, and humans.

 

What is the history of my relationship with man?

The name Kinkajou is thought to come from a French altercation of the Algonquian word for wolverine. They were first described in 1774 by the German naturalist Johann Schreber who thought we were a type of Lemur.   We are now classified in the raccoon family.  I am hunted for meat and my thick fur.