4. Kinkajous sleep in family units and groom one another.[24]. [25] The larger kinkajous are dominant and will drive olingos away when food is scarce. Procyonids and Viverids. They’re omnivores, which means that their diet is plant and animal based. 22. 11. Kinkajous are arboreal, a lifestyle they evolved independently; they are not closely related to any other tree-dwelling mammal group (primates, some mustelids, etc. It can rotate its ankles and feet 180°, making it easy for the animal to run backward over tree limbs and climb down trees headfirst. Tail holds the branches and provides balance when kinkajou moves in the treetops and serves as a blanket when animal sleeps (it wraps the body with tail during sleep). They have a wooly fur that consists of a golden outer coat and a grey undercoat. Although the kinkajou is classified in the order Carnivora and has sharp teeth, its omnivorous diet consists mainly of fruit, particularly figs. (Nectar is also sometimes obtained by eating entire flowers.) [20] Kinkajous have a much more extensive range than olingos and tend to be more common. The kinkajou has dense, woolly fur which is coloured a golden brown with some animals displaying a grey-brown or dark brown coat. While they are usually solitary when foraging, they occasionally forage in small groups, and sometimes associate with olingos (which are also nocturnal arboreal frugivores). Olingos are similar enough in appearance that many native cultures do not distinguish the two. 24. Kinkajous are sometimes kept as exotic pets. The mother kinkajou is very protective and is known to travel with the offspring attached to her belly. She was captured and imprisoned by the NightWings before the events of The Hidden Kingdom, but was able to escape the NightWing island with the help of Clay, Deathbringer, and Glory. [6] In his 1774 work Die Saugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, Schreber listed three items under the name "Lemur flavus Penn. It can eat both meat and plants and has a gripping tail that can be used like an arm. They’re one of only two carnivores that have a prehensile tail, the other is the binturong. [2][6], A. M. Husson, of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (Leiden), discussed the rather complicated nomenclature of the kinkajou in The Mammals of Suriname (1978). 14. Kinkajou has large eyes, small ears and short legs with sharp claws on the feet. 5. Kinkajou – diet, habitat, facts and lifespan with images. However, they can occasionally be aggressive. Their predators include diurnal birds of prey, which take sleeping kinkajous from tree tops, foxes, tayras, jaguarundi, jaguar, ocelot, margay, and people, who hunt them for their meat and fur. Kinkajous can survive from 20 to 25 years in the captivity. Some content of the original page may have been edited to make it more suitable for younger readers, unless otherwise noted. Kinkajous are arboreal and possess many adaptations common to arboreal species, such as a long, fully prehensile tail, nimble clawed fingers, and fully reversible hind feet. It begins to eat solid food at eight weeks. 12. 16. Many names come from Portuguese, Spanish and local dialects, such as cuchicuchi, huasa, jupará, leoncillo, marta, perro de monte and yapara. Fully grown kinkajous weigh between 3 and 10 pounds. Chapter 1 / Lesson 143. Lesson; Kinkajous: Quiz & Worksheet for Kids Quiz; Course; Try it risk-free for 30 days Instructor: Lori Houston. The outer fur appears golden or burnished brown, with a grey undercoat. Its body can grow up to 43-56 cm long (17-22 in) and its tail usually measures between 16-22 cm (41- 56 in). 25. In El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras pet kinkajous are commonly called micoleón, meaning "lion monkey". Well as funny and tricky as the name is, this quirky little creature is no less cute and fluffy. An adult kinkajou weighs from 1.4 to 4.6 kg (3–10 lb). The underbelly has orangish or yellow fur. The type locality reported by Schreber for L. flavus ("the mountains in Jamaica") was clearly based on Pennant's description of the kinkajou, who claimed, however, that his specimen was "shown about three years ago in London: its keeper said it came from the mountains of Jamaica". Tail is usually 15 to 22 inches long. Its scientific name Potos flavus roughly translates to golden drinker, as the kinkajou has a golden-brown coat and is fond of nectar. The Kinkajou is the only member of the genus ‘Potos’ Native to Mexico, Central American rainforests and South American rainforests, […] [27], Species of mammal, native to Central and South America, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T41679A45215631.en, "Appendices I, II and III: The CITES Appendices", Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, "On the geographical races of the kinkajou", "Memoire sur une nouvelle division des Mammiferes, et sur les principes qui doivent servir de base dans cette sorte de travail". It has been suggested, without direct evidence, that they may occasionally eat bird eggs and small vertebrates. The snout is dark brown to black. Kinkajous are quite noisy with their hisses, barks and high-pitched squeaks. It collects and transfers pollen from one flower to another while drinking nectar and contributes to successful pollination of flowers. This page was last changed on 10 March 2013, at 08:33. [12], A 2007 phylogenetic study showed that kinkajous form a basal lineage sister to the rest of Procyonidae. Their altitudinal range is from sea level to 2,500 meters (8,200 feet). There are 7 subspecies of kinkajou that can be found in southern Mexico and in Central and South America. [6] This error was pointed out by Thomas in 1902, who corrected the type locality to Suriname. Kinkajou offspring are blind, deaf and helpless at birth. [20] Compared to olingos, kinkajous are larger, have foreshortened muzzles, and lack anal scent glands (in addition to the previously described differences). Deforestation is thus a potential threat to the species. The Best Aquarium Rock Buyers Guide – 2020, The Best Aquarium Plants – 2020 Buyers Guide, The Best Water Conditioner For Fish Tank – 2020 Guide, The Best Aquarium Thermometer Reviews – 2020 Guide, The Best Fish Tank Decorations – 2020 Guide. After one or two weeks, the baby’s eyes open. Kinkajou has woolly fur that consists of golden outer coat and gray undercoat. 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. Kinkajou uses 5 inches long, skinny tongue to extract nectar from the flowers. Kinkajous live in the tropical forests of Central and South America. However, kinkajous are hunted for the pet trade, for their fur (to make wallets and horse saddles) and for their meat. [citation needed], Kinkajous spend most of their life in trees, to which they are particularly well adapted. Main predators of kinkajous are jaguars, ocelots, tayras, foxes and harpy eagles. Kinkajou is a female RainWing dragonet who was introduced in The Hidden Kingdom. Kinkajou Facts: Lesson for Kids. These names reflect its monkey-like body and obviously carnivoran head. As a nocturnal animal, the kinkajou's peak activity is usually between about 7:00 PM and midnight, and again an hour before dawn. [21] Studies have shown that 90% of their diet consists of (primarily ripe) fruit. Two clades, one leading to Bassaricyon (olingos and the olinguito) plus Nasua (coatis), and one leading to Bassariscus (the ring-tailed coati and the cacomistle) plus Procyon (racoons), appeared subsequently and radiated during the Miocene (23.8 to 5.3 million years ago). They mostly live in tropical rainforests, mountain forests and dry forests. [2][10] In 1977 the family Cercoleptidae was proposed with the kinkajou as the sole member, but this classification was later dismissed. They use their tails to hold onto branches and to balance when they’re moving in the treetops. Leaves, flowers, and various herbs make up much of the other 10% of their diet. They use their 5 inch long, skinny tongue to extract nectar from flowers. 3. Take a look below for 25 more interesting and fun facts about kinkajous. Serious claws and rounded ears give the kinkajou the nickname “honey bear.”. ke. 17. Females are generally smaller than males. It does not use its tail for grasping food. Mutual grooming is often seen in the groups. Kinkajou is a type of small mammal that belongs to the family of raccoons. Fun Facts for Kids. Kays, R., Reid, F., Schipper, J. ... to support the facts within our articles. There are seven subspecies of kinkajou that can be found in southern parts of Mexico and in Central and South America. A mother kinkajou takes full responsibility for caring for her young(s). [22] They sometimes eat insects, particularly ants. They are related to olingos, coatis, raccoons, and the ringtail and cacomistle. They’re nocturnal creatures, which means that they’re the most active during the night. It is able to climb with confidence when about three months old. They are playful, generally quiet, docile, and have little odor. The kinkajou has a short-haired, fully prehensile tail (like some New World monkeys), which it uses as a "fifth hand" in climbing. This makes kinkajous very important in successfully pollinating the ecosystem. The eyes are highly reflective of light, giving them a bright orange eyeshine. Kinkajous live in small social groups that usually consist of two males, one female, and related offspring. The claws are sharp and short. The total head-and-body length (including the tail) is between 82 to 133 cm (32 to 52 in), and the tail measures 39 to 57 cm (15 to 22 in). The kinkajou is a mammal of the family Procyonidae and it is related to the raccoon, coati, olingo, raingtail and cacomistle.It lives in the rainforests of South America and Central America, and spends most of its time on trees.It can eat both meat and plants and has a gripping tail that can be used like an arm. During the day, it will hide in tree holes. 23. Husson therefore concluded that Lemur flavus is actually a "composite species" based on Schreber's specimen of the mongoose lemur and Pennant's specimen of the kinkajou, and identified the latter as the lectotype for the species. Head. [6], The kinkajou is distinguished from other procyonids by its small, rounded ears, extensible tongue and prehensile tail. Kinkajou inhabits tropical rainforests, mountain forests and dry forests. It hides from the light in tree holes during the day. Given the diverse clades, the researchers suggested that some of the subspecies might be independent species. Some people call them “honey bears” because it looks somewhat like a bear cub that likes to eat honey. However, the oldest recorded kinkajou was 41 years old. 6. In Peru, pet kinkajous are called “liron”, which means “bear monkey” or “bear monkey hybrid.”.