Kinkajou

Kinkajou

Honey bear, Sugar bear, La llorona (the crying woman), Mico de noche, Martucha

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Suborder
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Potos flavus
Population size
Unknown
Life Span
20-40 years
Weight
1.4-4.6
3.1-10.1
kglbs
kg lbs 
Length
40-60
15.7-23.6
cminch
cm inch 

The kinkajou (Potos flavus) is a tropical rainforest mammal related to olingos, coatis, raccoons, and the ringtail and cacomistle. It is the only member of the genus Potos and is also known as the "honey bear". Kinkajous are arboreal, a lifestyle they evolved independently; they are not closely related to any other tree-dwelling mammal group (primates, some mustelids, etc.).

Appearance

The kinkajou has a round head, large eyes, a short, pointed snout, short limbs, and a long prehensile tail. The eyes reflect green or bright yellow against the light. The long, thick tongue is highly extrudable. The snout is dark brown to black. The claws are sharp and short. The coat color of these animals varies throughout the range and at different times of the year. Several shades such as tawny olive, wood brown, and yellowish tawny have been reported for the upper part of the coat and the upper side of the tail, while the underparts and the lower side of the tail have been observed to be buff, tawny, or brownish yellow. Some individuals have a black stripe running along the midline of the back. The color seems to become lighter from the south to the north, though no seasonal trends have been observed. The fur is short, woolly, and dense. Hairs are of two types - light yellowish and darker with brown tips. The darker hairs reflect light poorly relative to the lighter ones, often creating an illusion of spots and dark lines on the coat. The tail is covered with thick fur up to the end. Females of this species are generally smaller than males.

Video

Distribution

Geography

Kinkajous live south and east of the Mexican Sierra Madres, through Central America to Bolivia to the east of the Andes, as well as in the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. They live within the canopy of a number of stages of the forest, such as mature, disturbed, as well as secondary rainforest, and may also occur in deciduous forests, gallery forests, and sometimes plantations.

Kinkajou habitat map

Climate zones

Kinkajou habitat map
Kinkajou
Attribution-ShareAlike License

Habits and Lifestyle

Kinkajous are strictly arboreal and nocturnal. They were earlier thought to be solitary, however, recent studies reveal a complex social system that is comparable to other arboreal and nocturnal species. Social groups usually consist of a female and two males but may include sub-adults and juveniles as well. Kinkajous sleep in their dens during the day, often in a hole or fork of a tree, and generally with members from their home group. When dusk comes, members of a group spend time socializing and allogrooming before separating to forage. A kinkajou will usually feed on its own, except when eating in large fruit trees, as here there is less competition among them because of the plentiful food supply. Whether in a small group or alone, kinkajous usually go the same route every night and usually keep to their own territory. They mark their territory using scent glands, which are at the corner of their mouth, their throat, and their abdomen.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Kinkajous are primarily opportunistic frugivores, they mostly eat fruit, including melons, apples, bananas, figs, grapes, and mangos. They also eat nectar, berries, bark, leaves, frogs, insects, honey, birds, and eggs. Most of the moisture that they need comes from their food, though they also drink water that has gathered on leaves or in nooks of trees.

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
REPRODUCTION SEASON
year-round
PREGNANCY DURATION
98-120 days
BABY CARRYING
1-2 pups
INDEPENDENT AGE
8 months
FEMALE NAME
sow
MALE NAME
boar
BABY NAME
pup, kit

Kinkajous are polygynandrous (promiscuous), with both males and females mating with multiple partners. Breeding takes place year-round. Gestation is 98-120 days. The size of a litter is usually one, sometimes two. After 2 to 6 weeks its eyes open and between 3-6 weeks the tail becomes prehensile. A mother is very protective of her young and she carries her baby on her belly everywhere she goes. However, after the baby is weaned she will park it in a nearby tree while feeding. The pup will be weaned when it is 8 months of age. Young males reach reproductive maturity at the age of 18 months and females at 2-3 years old.

Population

Population threats

Potential threats to this species include deforestation, capture to be sold as pets, and hunting for its soft pelt and flavorful meat. Habitat destruction by humans has caused the population size and range of kinkajous to decrease. Most of the habitat destruction is probably due to deforestation.

Population number

The Kinkajou has a wide distribution range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC), but its numbers today are decreasing.

Ecological niche

Being frugivores, kinkajous are active dispersers of seed. They are also important rainforest pollinators. When they drink nectar from within flowers, their faces get covered in pollen which is then spread to other plants.

Fun Facts for Kids

  • Kinkajous are quite noisy with their hisses, barks, and high-pitched squeaks. They bark and screech all around the forest, which gives them another nickname which is Spanish for the crying woman: la llorona.
  • A kinkajou's hearing is keen enough to hear a snake’s movement.
  • In Belize, “night walkers” is the name for kinkajous.
  • The kinkajou’s scientific name ‘potos flavus’ means “golden drinker”.
  • Kinkajous are also called “honey bear” since they sometimes raid beehives.
  • The prehensile tail of kinkajous and binturongs is unique amongst mammalian carnivores

Coloring Pages

References

1. Kinkajou Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkajou
2. Kinkajou on The IUCN Red List site - http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/41679/0

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About