Large photo: http://animaladay.blogspot.com/2011/02/kinkajou.html
small: http://www.acuteaday.com/blog/category/kinkajous/ |
KinkajousKinkajous (Potos Flavus), also known as the Honey Bear, is native to the rain forests of Central and South America. These animals are arboreal which means that they spend most of their life up in the trees. Surprisingly, Kinkajous are considered common pets in some areas and can live up to 40 years in captivity. Rarely seen by humans because it is nocturnal, the Kinkajou has been hunted for the pet trade and their fur but are not considered endangered. Weighing up to 10 pounds, these animals can grow to two feet long. Kinkajous are found in tropical rain forests, montane forests, dry forests, and gallery forests. Mostly omnivorous, these animals consist mainly of fruit, leaves, and flowers. The Kinkajous' 5-inch tongue helps the animal obtain and lick nectar from flowers, so that it acts as a pollinator. Captured Kinkajous will eat honey vigorously, hence the name "The Honey Bear".
Kinkajous form treetop groups and share social interactions through barking and screeching in the tropical forest canopy. Babies are born in either the spring and summer and its eyes are shut for the first month after birth. They are blind for the first month but will develop quickly. By the second month, Kinkajous are running around and hanging from its tail. |