Kinkajou
NAME:
Kinkajou
ZOO NAME:
Gizmo
CLASS:
Mammalia
GENUS:
Potos
SPECIES:
P flavus
LENGTH:
17-22″ body with 16-22″ tail
WEIGHT:
4-8 lbs.
LIFESPAN:
23 yrs. in captivity
DIET:
fruit, flower, nectar
PREDATORS:
fox, tayra, margay, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi
RANGE
Southern Mexico to southern Brazil
HABITAT
Humid and lowland rainforest; some can be found in secondary/disturbed forests
CHARACTERISTICS
Kinkajous have poor vision, but a keen sense of smell and acute hearing. They have a 5 inch-long tongue used to obtain nectar from flowers. Although kinkajous have sharp teeth and are related to carnivores, they usually eat only fruit, nectar, and flowers. The tail of a kinkajou is prehensile and acts as a 5th arm.
BEHAVIOR
Kinkajous are arboreal (live in the trees) and can turn feet backwards to come down the tree easier. Primarily nocturnal, they can be seen during early evening. Kinkajous live together in small groups and sleep near each other in tree branches. In the wild, they seldom come down to the forest floor.
REPRODUCTION
Breeding takes place any time of the year, resulting in 1 or 2 cubs in a litter after a gestation of 112-118 days. Babies are born in a dark den and are grayish-brown in color and cling to their mother’s chest for 5 weeks before they can walk.
ANIMAL FUN FACT!
Kinkajous are also called “Honey Bears”, “Night Walkers” and “Night Monkeys”.Although gaining popularity as pets, kinkajous are not usually a good fit for a human household. They are awake at night, make a loud screaming sound and have VERY sharp teeth.
When eating a juicy fruit, like a grape, kinkajous turn their heads upside down so none of the juice drips away.