1000+ images about Kinkajou (Honey Bear) on Pinterest | South america, The family and Horse saddles Forward The kinkajou (Potos flavus), also known as the 'honey bear' (a name it shares with the sun bear), is a rainforest mammal NOT a monkey. Native to Central America and South America, this mostly a frugivorous, arboreal mammal. However, they are hunted for the pet trade, for their fur (to make wallets and horse saddles) and for their meat. They may live up to 40 years in captivity. See More 1000+ images about Kinkajous: They live in South America!!! Adorable!!! on Pinterest | How to sleep, South america and Horse saddles Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas Kinkajous: They live in South America!!! Adorable!!! Follow me into the world of adorable Kinkajous... Have YOU heard of them before?

13 Pins55 Followers kinkajou | mammal | Britannica.com Kinkajou Alternative Titles: honey bear, Potos flavus Related Topics olingo Kinkajou (Potos flavus), also called honey bear, an unusual member of the raccoon family (see procyonid ) distinguished by its long, prehensile tail, short muzzle, and low-set, rounded ears. Native to Central America and parts of South America , the kinkajou is an agile denizen of the upper canopy of tropical forests. The kinkajou is the only species of the genus Potos. Though related to the raccoon and coati , its appearance, behaviour, and ecology more closely resemble those of a primate . Indeed, the kinkajou was originally described to the scientific community as a lemur . It has soft, gray or brownish fur and large eyes set in a small, round face. The eyes are highly reflective of light, giving them a bright orange eyeshine. The kinkajou’s feet can be rotated 180° and have a thick covering of short hair on the soles.

Its body length is less than 61 cm (24 inches), excluding its 40–57-cm (16–22-inch) tail. Adult weight ranges from 2 to 3.2 kg (4.4 to 7 pounds). Nocturnal and arboreal, kinkajous generally feed alone or in pairs but will form stable groups in which members, particularly the males, groom each other and return each morning to established tree holes to sleep together. Kinkajous are highly vocal, emitting screams, barks, and a variety of softer sounds, including some described as “sneezes.” It rarely leaves the trees, feeding mostly on fruit and insects; it also drinks nectar from flowers during dry periods. A litter consists of one or two young, born in spring or summer. The kinkajou often shows little fear of humans. It is sometimes kept as a pet known as a “honey bear,” although the animal cannot be litter-trained. Considered gentle if they are obtained when young, kinkajous do possess anal glands that produce a musky odour when the animal is angered or frightened; kinkajous can also deliver a sharp bite.

In captivity, they can live 20 years or more. The cacomistle and especially the olingo are similar members of the family Procyonidae. These animals, however, do not have prehensile tails. Learn More in these related articles: kinkajou - definition and meaning kinkajou Definitions from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition n. An arboreal mammal (Potos flavus) of Central and South America, having brownish fur and a long, prehensile tail. Also called honey bear. from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License n. A carnivorous mammal of Central America and South America with a long, prehensile tail, related to the raccoon. from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English n. A nocturnal carnivorous mammal (Cercoleptes caudivolvulus) of South America, about as large as a full-grown cat. It has a prehensile tail and lives in trees. It is the only representative of a distinct family (Cercoleptidæ) allied to the raccoons.

Called also potto, and honey bear. from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia n. A procyoniform quadruped of Central and South America, Cercoleptes caudivolvulus, family Cercoleptidæ, series Arctoidea proeyoniformia of the order Feræ or Carnivora. from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. n. a kind of lemur n. arboreal fruit-eating mammal of tropical America with a long prehensile tail Etymologies Animals ANIMALS Although the information below is incomplete, all the animals listed ARE permanent residents. We will be adding the pictures and details as time permits. -- A -- The Artic Fox also known as the White Fox, Polar Fox or Snow Fox, is a small ... more -- B -- The Common Brown Lemur lives in western Madagascar north of ... more -- C -- Caracals live in the drier savannah and woodland of Africa ... more Coatimundi (South America) Coatimundis are native to the lowland forests of Central,South America and southwestern North America. Their closest relative is the common raccoon ...

more -- E -- The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian ... more -- F -- Fennec Foxes are the smallest fox in the world and are ... more Ferret (Europe) The guinea pig, also called the cavy is a species of rodent. Despite their common ... more -- H -- Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth is native to Central & South America. They are a solitary ... more -- K -- The kinkajou is more commonly known as the Honey Bear. They are native to Central ... more -- L -- Llamas are native to South America. Primarily Peru, Bolivia & the ... more -- M -- Mammals of Costa Rica Sloth by Adrian Hepworth Before man hunted them to extinction, there were many more mammal species. Even today all large- and many small-mammal populations are subject to extreme pressure from hunting or habitat destruction, and it is only recently that large-mammal populations in the national parks are beginning to recover. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times for wildlife viewing, particularly around water holes (the dry regions of Guanacaste offer prime locations).

Anteaters Anteaters are common in lowland and middle-elevation habitats throughout Costa Rica. Anteaters are purists and subsist solely on a diet of ants and termites, plus a few unavoidable bits of dirt. There is no doubt about what the best tool is for the job--a long tongue with zillions of microscopic spines. The anteater's toothless jaw is one long tube. When it feeds using its powerful forearms and claws to rip open ant and termite nests, its thong of a tongue flicks in and out of its tiny mouth, running deep into the galleries. Each time it withdraws, it brings with it a load of ants, which are scraped off inside the tunnel of its mouth and swallowed, ground down by small quantities of sand and gravel in its stomach. The most commonly seen of Costa Rica's three anteater species is the tree-dwelling lesser anteater (or tamandua locally), a beautiful creature with a prehensile tail and the gold-and-black coloration of a panda bear. It can grow to 1.5 meters and weigh up to eight kilograms. One of my fondest memories is seeing a tamandua climbing down a tree in Santa Rosa National Park.

When it saw me, it climbed back up again! The giant anteater, with its huge, bushy tail and astonishingly long proboscis, is now restricted to the less sparsely forested areas of the Osa Peninsula. It can grow to two meters long and when threatened rears itself on its hind legs and slashes wildly with its claws. It also raises its tail over its head. Even machetes cannot cut through the tough bristles; thus the fearsome critter is revered among campesinos for its magical abilities. At night you may with luck see the strictly arboreal, cat-sized silky anteater, which can hang from its strong prehensile tail. Bats The most numerous mammals by far are the bats, found throughout Costa Rica. You may easily come across them slumbering by day halfway up a tree or roosting in a shed. In true Dracula fashion, most bats are lunarphobic: they avoid the bright light. On nights one week before and after the full moon, they suspend foraging completely and stay in their roosts while the moon is at its peak, probably for fear of owls.

Many bat species--like the giant Jamaican fruit bat (murciélago frútero), with a wingspan of more than 50 cm--are frugivores (fruit eaters) or insectivores, and quite harmless. The Jamaican bat favors figs, taken on the wing. The vampire bats (Ticos call them vampiros)--which belong to the Neotropics, not Transylvania--are a different matter: they inflict an estimated $100 million of damage on domestic farm animals throughout Central and South America by transmitting rabies and other diseases. The vampire bat's modus operandi is almost as frightening as the stuff of Bram Stoker's Dracula. It lands on or close to a sleeping mammal, such as a cow. Using its two razor-sharp incisors, it then punctures the unsuspecting beast and, with the aid of an anticoagulant saliva, merrily squats beside the wound and laps up the blood while it flows. They're pretty much harmless to humans.

The most interesting of bats, however, and one easily seen in Tortuguero, is the fishing bulldog bat (murciélago pescador), with its huge wingspan (up to 60 cm across) and great gaff-shaped claws with which it hooks fish. It fishes by sonar. Skimming the water surface it is able to detect slight ripples ahead. The bat then drops its hooked feet at just the right moment and--presto!--supper. Cats Costa Rica boasts six endangered members of the cat family. All are active by day and night, but are rarely seen. Although they are legally protected and spotted cat trophies cannot be imported into the U.S., hunting of cats still occurs in Costa Rica. However, the main threat to the remaining populations is deforestation. One of the rarest cats is the jaguarundi (called león breñero locally), a dark-brown or tawny critter about the size of a large house cat. It has a long, slender body, short stocky legs, and a venal face with yellow eyes suggesting a nasty temperament. Pumas (león) also inhabit a variety of terrains, though they are rarely seen.

This large cat--also called the "mountain lion"--is generally dun-colored, though coloration varies markedly among individuals and from region to region. The spotted cats include the cute-looking, house-cat-sized margay (caucel), which has a special joint that permits it to rotate its foot backwards, and its smaller cousin, the oncilla. Both wear an ocher coat spotted with black and brown spots, like tiny leopards. Their chests are white. The most commonly seen cat is the exquisitely spotted ocelot (manigordo), their larger cousin, which is well-distributed throughout the country and among various habitats; it grows to the size of a large dog. Image © Bob Race Worshiped as a god in pre-Columbian civilizations, the jaguar is the symbol of the Central American jungle. Panthera onca (or tigre to locals) was once abundant in the dense forests, coastal mangroves, and lowland savannas of Central America.

Today this magnificent and noble beast is an endangered species, rare except in parts of the larger reserves: Santa Rosa, Tortuguero, and Corcovado National Parks, the Río Macho Forest Reserve, and lower levels of the Cordillera Talamanca. In recent years, fortunately, jaguar sightings have been more common, suggesting that better preservation of their habitat is paying dividends. While a few of the famous black "panther" variety exist, most Central American jaguars are a rich yellow, spotted with large black rosettes. Jaguars are the largest and most powerful of the American members of the cat family--a mature jaguar measures over two meters, stands 60 cm at the shoulders, and weighs up to 90 kg. The animal's head and shoulders are massive, the legs relatively short and thick. An adept climber and swimmer, the beast is a versatile hunter, at home in trees, on ground, and even in water. Not surprisingly, it feeds on a wide range of arboreal, terrestrial, and aquatic animals and is powerful enough to kill a full-grown cow.

Don't be surprised if you come across a jaguar's footprints alongside a mangrove islet or streambed in the gallery forest. Don't get your hopes up, however. You're not likely to see one prowling its territory or lying lazily by the riverbank (a favorite pastime), one paw dangling in the water, as it waits to flip out a passing fish or turtle. Like all wild cats, jaguars are extremely shy, not particularly dangerous, and attack humans very rarely. When roads penetrate the primeval forest, the jaguar is among the first large mammals to disappear. These splendid beasts are easily seen at the Las Pumas Zoo outside Cañas, where injured and orphaned cats are nursed back to health and/or prepared for a second life in the wild. Similarly, the Profelis Wildcat Center, near Dominical, welcomes tourists. Deer Yes, Costa Rica has two species of deer: the red brocket deer (called cabro de monte), which favors the rainforests, and the larger, more commonly seen white-tailed deer (venado), widely dispersed in habitats throughout the country, but especially Guanacaste. The former is slightly hump-backed and bronze.

Males have single-prong horns. The latter--a smaller variant of its North American counterpart--varies from gray to red, normally with a white belly and a white dappled throat and face. Males have branched antlers. Image © Ben Dwyer Manatees Anyone venturing to Tortuguero National Park or Gandoca-Manzanillo National Park will no doubt hope to see a West Indian manatee (manati). This herbivorous marine mammal has long been hunted for its flesh, which is supposedly tender and delicious, and for its very tough hide, once used for machine belts and high-pressure hoses. The heavily wrinkled beast looks like a tuskless walrus, with small round eyes, fleshy lips that hang over the sides of its mouth, and no hind limbs, just a large, flat, spatulate tail. Now endangered throughout their former range, these creatures once inhabited brackish rivers and lagoons along the whole coast of Central America's Caribbean shoreline. Today, only a few remain in the most southerly waters of the U.S. and isolated pockets of Central America. Tortuguero, where the animals are legally protected, has one of the few significant populations.

They are not easy to spot, for they lie submerged with only nostrils showing. Watch for rising bubbles in the water: manatees suffer from flatulence, a result of eating up to 45 kg of water hyacinths and other aquatic flora daily. The animals, sometimes called sea cows, can be huge, growing to four meters long and weighing as much as a ton. Good fortune may even provide an encounter with groups of manatees engaged in courtship ritual. Interestingly, the manatee is one of few species in which males engage in homosexual activity. Affectionate animals, they kiss each other, sometimes swim with linked flippers, and always make solicitous parents. Monkeys Costa Rica has four species of monkeys: the cebus (or capuchin), howler, spider, and squirrel. Along with approximately 50 other species, they belong to a group called New World monkeys, which evolved from a single simian group that appeared about 40 million years ago in Africa and Asia. Some of these early primates migrated to North America and then down the land bridge to Central and South America.

Though the North American monkeys gradually died out, their southern cousins flourished and evolved along lines that differ markedly from those of their ancestors in the Old World. While African and Asian monkeys have narrow noses with nostrils that point down (much like human noses), New World monkeys evolved broad, widely spaced nostrils. New World females, too, evolved a singular ability to bear twins. And, perhaps most important, some New World species--notably the cebus, howler, and spider monkeys--developed long prehensile tails for added purchase and balance in the high treetops. They inhabit a wide range of habitats, from the rainforest canopy to the scrubby undergrowth of the dry forests, though each species occupies its own niche and the species seldom meet. Together, they are the liveliest and most vocal jungle tenants. Beyond the reach of most predators, they have little inhibition in announcing their presence with their roughhousing and howls, chatterings, and screeches. The sudden explosive roar of the howler monkey--a sound guaranteed to make your hair stand on end--is said to be the loudest sound in the animal kingdom.

The distinctive-looking capuchin, or white-faced monkey (mono cara blanca), is the smartest and most inquisitive of Central American simians. It derives its name from its black body and monklike white cowl. You've probably seen them dancing at the end of a tether at street fairs in Europe or South America--they're the little guys favored by organ grinders worldwide. Capuchins range widely throughout the wet lowland forests of the Caribbean coast and the deciduous dry forests of the Pacific Northwest below 1,500 meters. Two excellent places to see them are Santa Rosa and Manuel Antonio National Parks, where family troops are constantly on the prowl, foraging widely through the treetops and over the forest floor. These opportunistic feeders are fun to watch as they search under logs and leaves or tear off bark as they seek out insects and small lizards soon after dawn and again in late afternoon. Capuchins also steal birds' eggs and nestlings. Some crafty coastal residents, not content with grubs and insect larvae, have developed a taste for oysters and other mollusks, which they break open on rocks.

The frugal capuchin sometimes hoards his food for "rainy days." While their taste is eclectic, they are fussy eaters: they'll meticulously pick out grubs from fruit, which they test for ripeness by smelling and squeezing. And capuchins are not averse to crop raiding, especially corn, as the farmers of Guanacaste will attest. Image © Bob Race The howler (mono congo) is the most abundant as well as the largest of Central American monkeys (it can weigh up to five kg). It inhabits both lowland and montane forests throughout Costa Rica. Fortunately, it is less sensitive to habitat destruction than the spider monkey and can be found clinging precariously to existence in many relic patches of forest. While howlers are not particularly aggressive, they sure sound it! The stentorian males greet each new day with reveille calls that seem more like the explosive roars of lions than those of small arboreal leaf-eaters. The hair-raising vocalizations can carry for almost a mile in even the densest of jungle. The males sing in chorus again at dusk (or whenever trespassers get too close) as a spacing mechanism to keep rivals at a safe distance.

Their Pavarotti-like vocal abilities are due to unusually large larynxes and throats that inflate into resonating balloons. Females generally content themselves with loud wails and groans--usually to signal distress or call a straying infant. This noisy yet sedentary canopy browser feeds on leaves (64 percent of its diet) and fruit. Although capable of eating anything that grows, howlers are extremely selective feeders. The smallest Costa Rican primate, the squirrel monkey (mono titi), grows to 25-35 cm, plus a tail up to 45 cm. It is restricted to the rainforests of the southern Pacific lowlands. Always on the go, day and night, they scurry about in the jungle understory and forest floor on all fours, where they are safe from raptor predators. Squirrels are more gregarious than most other monkeys; bands of 40 individuals or more are not uncommon. Like the larger capuchins, the golden-orange titi (with its face of white and black) is the arboreal goat of the forest. It will eat almost anything: fruits, insects, small lizards.

In times of abundance (May-October), the two species have been known to forage together. When food is scarce they become rivals; the heftier capuchin invariably is the victor. The titi is an endangered species well on its way to extinction. The large, loose-limbed spider monkey (mono colorado)--the supreme acrobat of the forest--was once the most widespread of the Central American monkeys. Unfortunately, they are very sensitive to human intrusion and are among the first primate species to decline with disturbance. The last few decades have brought significant destruction of spider monkey habitats, and land clearance and hunting (their flesh is said to be tasty) have greatly reduced spider monkey populations throughout much of their former range. If you inadvertently come across them you'll soon know it: they often rattle the branches and bark and screech loudly to demonstrate their fearlessness. These copper-colored acrobats can attain a length of a meter and a half. They have evolved extreme specialization for a highly mobile arboreal lifestyle. Long slender limbs allow spider monkeys to make spectacular leaps. But the spider's greatest secret is its extraordinary prehensile tail, which is longer than the combined length of its head and body.

The underside is ridged like a human fingertip for added grip at the end of treetop leaps (it is even sensitive enough for probing and picking). You might even see individuals hanging like ripe fruit by their tails. Gregarious by night (they often bed down in heaps), by day they are among the most solitary of primates. The males stay aloof from the females. While the latter tend to their young, which they carry on their backs, the males are busy marking their territory with secretions from their chest glands. Image © Bob Race Peccaries With luck you may come upon peccaries, but preferably at a distance. These wild pigs are notoriously fickle and potentially aggressive creatures whose presence in the rainforest may be betrayed by their pungent, musky odor and by the churned-up ground from their grubbing. Gregarious beasts, they forage in herds and make a fearsome noise if frightened or disturbed. Like most animals, they prefer to flee from human presence. Occasionally, however, an aggressive male may show his bravado by threatening to have a go at you, usually in a bluff charge. Rangers advise that you should climb a tree if threatened.

The more common collared peccary (saino) is marked by an ocher-colored band of hair running from its shoulders down to its nose; the rest of its body is dark brown. The larger white-lipped peccary (cariblanco), which can grow to one meter long, is all black, or brown, with a white mustache or "beard." Raccoons Raccoons, familiar to North Americans, are present throughout Costa Rica, where they are frequently seen begging tidbits from diners at hotel restaurants. The northern raccoon (mapache to Ticos) is a smaller but otherwise identical cousin of the North American raccoon, and can be found widely in Costa Rica's lowlands, predominantly in moist areas. The white-faced animal is unmistakable with its bandit-like black mask, and its tail of alternating black and white hoops. Don't mistake this animal with its cousin, the darker-colored crab-eating raccoon, found only along the Pacific coast. Photo by Adrian Hepworth Another endearing and commonly seen mammal is the long-nosed coatimundi (called pizote locally), the most diurnal member of the raccoon family, found throughout the country.

Coatis wear many coats, from yellow to deepest brown, though all are distinguished by faintly ringed tails, white-tipped black snouts, and panda-like eye-rings. The animal is at home both on the ground and in the treetops, where it can sometimes be spotted moving from tree to tree. (The name coatimundi refers specifically to lone coatis; the animals are usually gregarious critters and are often seen in packs.) The animal has a fascinating defense technique against predators. When attacked, it raises itself on its hind leg, thrusts its tail between its legs, and waves its tail in front of its face. The attacker goes for the tail, giving the coati a chance to rake the predator in the eyes with its sharp claws. Yow! I've had several coatimundis walk past me without blinking an eye on wilderness trails. Another charming member of the raccoon family is the small and totally nocturnal kinkajou (known to Ticos as the martilla) with its large limpid eyes and velvet-soft coat of golden brown.

It's a superb climber (it can hang by its prehensile tail) and spends most of its life feeding on fruit, honey, and insects in the treetops. By day it is very drowsy; if picked up, its first instinct is to cuddle against your chest, bury its head to avoid the light, and drop back off to sleep. It's smaller cousins are the much rarer, grayish, bug-eyed olingo, with its slightly ringed-tail; and the cacomistle (cacomistle or olingo), identified by its panda-like white spectacled eyes, and a bushy white tail ringed with black hoops. The two are easily confused, but the cacomistle has pointier ears. Rodents The agouti (guatusa to Ticos) is a brown, cat-size rodent related to the guinea pig. It inhabits the forests up to 6,500 feet elevation, and is often seen by day feeding on the forest floor on fruits and nuts (the wet-forest agoutis are darker than their chestnut colored dry-forest cousins).

It looks like a giant tailless squirrel with the thin legs and tip-toeing gait of a deer, but it sounds like a small dog. They are solitary critters that mark their turf with musk. They form monogamous pairs and produce two or three litters a year. Agoutis have long been favored for their meat and are voraciously hunted by humans. Their nocturnal cousin, the paca (called tepezcuintle by locals) also makes good eating--and can grow to a meter long and weigh 10 kg, three times larger than the agouti--and is favored by a wide variety of predators. It is brown with rows of white spots along its side. Both are easily captured because of the strong anal musks they use to scent their territories and because of their habit of running in circles but never leaving their home turf (pacas, at least, are intelligent enough to leap into water and stay submerged for a considerable time). If you disturb one in the forest, you may hear its high-pitched alarm bark before you see it.

Costa Rica also has five squirrel species, including the ubiquitous variegated squirrel (chiza or ardilla tricolor to locals), whose black, white, and red coloration varies in form. The brown and chestnut red-tailed squirrel (ardilla roja) is also common. Costa Rica has about 40 species of rats, mice, and gophers. Image © Erin Dwyer Sloths Ask anyone to compile a list of the world's strangest creatures and the sloth, a creature that moves with the grace and deliberation of a tai chi master, would be right up there with the duck-billed platypus. The sloth, which grows to the size of a medium-size dog, has a small head and flat face with snub nose, beady eyes, and seemingly rudimentary ears (its reputation for poor hearing is entirely incorrect). Its long, bony arms are well developed, with curving clawsthat hook over and grasp the branches from which it spends almost its entire life suspended upside down.

The arboreal beast, which is actually related to the anteater and armadillo, pays plenty of attention to personal hygiene, despite the fact that its shaggy fur harbors an algae unique to the beast and which make the sloth greenly inconspicuous--wonderful camouflage from prowling jaguars and keen-eyed eagles, its chief predators (the sloth also eats the algae). The sloth even has communities of moths that live in the depths of its fur and also feed on the algae. Lulled by its relative treetop security, the sloth, says naturalist David Attenborough, "has sunken into an existence just short of complete torpor." The creature spends up to 18 hours daily sleeping curled up with its feet drawn close together and its head tucked between the forelimbs. Costa Rica has two species of sloths: the three-fingered sloth (perezoso de tres dedos) and the nocturnal, relatively omnivoros Hoffman's two-fingered sloth (perezoso de dos dedos). You're more likely to see the three-fingered sloth, which is active by day.

The animals are more commonly incorrectly called "three-toed" and "two-toed." In fact, both species have three toes. At top speed a sloth can barely cover a mile in four hours. On the ground, it is even more awkward and crawls with great difficulty. In fact, there's a very good reason sloths move at a rate barely distinguishable from rigor mortis. A sloth's digestion works as slowly as its other bodily functions. Its metabolic rate is half that of other animals of similar size, and food remains in its stomach for up to a week. Hence, it has evolved a large ruminant-like stomach and intestinal tract to process large quantities of relatively indigestible food. To compensate, it has sacrificed heavy muscle mass--and, hence, mobility--to maximize body size in proportion to weight. Thus, the sloth has evolved as a compromise between a creature large enough to store and process large quantities of food and one light enough to move about in trees without breaking the branches. Sloths need warm weather to synthesize food. During long spells of cold weather, the animals may literally starve to death.

When nature calls (about once a week), the animal descends to ground level, where it digs a small hole with its hind limbs. It then defecates into the depression, urinates, covers the broth with leaves, and returns much relieved to its arboreal life. During this 30-minute period, the female "sloth moths" have been busy laying their eggs on the sloth dung. When hatched, the larvae feed and pulpate on the feces. The newly emerged adults then fly off to seek a new sloth. Sloths, which may live up to 20 years or longer, reach sexual maturity at three years, a relatively old age for mammals of their size. Females screech to draw males, which have a bare orange patch on their back with unique sexual markings. Females give birth once a year (the gestation period is about six months) and spend half their adult lives pregnant. Although female sloths are never separated by choice from their offspring, they are peculiarly unsentimental about their young: if a baby tumbles, its plaintive distress calls go unheeded.

And when the juvenile reaches six months of age, the mother simply turns tail on her youngster, which inherits her "home range" of trees. An easy way to find sloths is to look up into the green foliage of cecropia trees, which form one of the sloth's favorite food staples. More adventurous individuals might even be basking in the sunlight, feigning death halfway up a tree. The sloth's heavy fur coat provides excellent insulation against heat loss. Still, its body temperature drops almost to the temperature of its surroundings at night and, much like cold-blooded reptiles, the sloth needs to take in the sun's rays to bring its temperature to normal mammalian levels. The sight of a sloth languishing in open cecropia crowns is a heavenly vision to harpy eagles, which swoop in to snatch the torpid creature much like plucking ripe fruit. To learn more, pay a visit to Aviarios del Caribe Sloth Refuge, near Cahuita.

Photo by Adrian Hepworth Tapirs Another symbol of the New World tropics is the strange-looking Baird's tapir (danta locally), a solitary, ground-living, plant-eating, forest-dwelling, ungainly mixture of elephant, rhinoceros, pig, and horse. The tapir uses its short, highly mobile proboscis--an evolutionary forerunner to the trunk of the elephant--for plucking leaves and shoveling them into its mouth. This endangered species is the largest indigenous terrestrial land mammal in Central America. Like its natural predator the jaguar, the tapir has suffered severely at the hands of man. The animal was once common in Costa Rica and ranged far and wide in the lowland swamps and forests. It was even present in the bamboo thickets up to 3,000 meters elevation in the Talamanca mountains. Hunters have brought it to the edge of extinction. Today, tapirs are found only in national parks and reserves where hunting is restricted, with the greatest density in Corcovado National Park, which has a population of fewer than 300.

They have learned to be wary of man, and few travelers have the privilege of sighting them in the wild. Tapirs live in dense forests and swamps and rely on concealment for defense. They are generally found wallowing up to their knees in swampy waters. In fact, tapirs are rarely seen far from water, to which they rush precipitously at the first sign of danger. The animals make conspicuous trails in the forest, and because tapirs maintain territories marked with dung or scent, they are easily tracked by dogs. Weasels Costa Rica boasts seven members of the weasel family. The most ubiquitous is the skunk (zorro in local parlance), one of the most commonly seen--and smelled--mammal species, of which Costa Rica has three species. The black striped hog-nosed skunk, with its bushy white tail and white stripe along its rump, will be familiar to North Americans. The smaller spotted skunk and hooded skunk are more rarely seen. Their defense is a disgusting scent sprayed at predators from an anal gland.

Costa Rica is also home to a badger-like animal called the grison, another skunk-like member of the weasel family that can weigh three kg (seven pounds) and is often seen hunting alone or in groups in lowland rainforest during the day. The grison is gray, with a white stripe running across its forehead and ears, white eye patches, and a black nose, chest, and legs. It looks like a cross between a badger and an otter. Meter-long otters (perro de agua, or water-dog, to locals) are commonly seen in lowland rivers, especially in Tortuguero. Its cousin, the sleek, long-haired, chocolate-brown tayra (locals call it tolumuco--a meter-long giant of the weasel family--resembles a mix of grison and otter. It is often seen in highland habitats throughout Costa Rica. Weighing up to five kg, the tayra habitually preys on rodents but can make quick work of small deer.

Keep an eye off the ground, too, particularly in Santa Rosa National Park, where tayras can sometimes be seen stalking squirrels in the crowns of deciduous trees with a motion so fluid they seem to move like snakes. Other Mammals The mostly nocturnal and near-blind nine-banded armadillo (cusuco), an armor-plated oddity, and one of only two of the 20 or so species of edentates found in Costa Rica, will be familiar to anyone from Texas. The animal can grow to almost one meter long. They are terrestrial dwellers that grub about on the forest floor, feeding on insects and fungi. The female lays a single egg that, remarkably, divides to produce identical triplets. Its smaller cousin, the naked-tailed armadillo is far less frequently seen. The dog family is represented by the brown-gray coyote and nocturnal gray fox, both found mostly in the dry northwestern regions.

The marsupials--mammals whose embryonic offspring crawl from the birth canal and are reared in an external pouch--are represented by nine species of opossums, including the black-and-gray banded, long-legged, water opossum and the two-toned, short-legged common opossum (zorro pelón), a large rat-like critter with a dark brown body and tan underside, and a more lively disposition than normal--this opossum defends itself rather than feigning dead. The blunt-nosed, short-spined, prehensile-tailed porcupine (puerco espín) is also present, though being nocturnal and arboreal is rarely seen. There are also two species of rabbits (conejos). honey bear definition | English definition dictionary | Reverso n another name for → ratel honey bear n another name for → kinkajou → 1 → sun bear honey buzzard n a common European bird of prey, Pernis apivorus, having broad wings and a typically dull brown plumage with white-streaked underparts: family Accipitridae (hawks, buzzards, etc.).

It feeds on grubs and honey from bees' nests honey creeper n 1 any small tropical American songbird of the genus Dacnis and related genera, closely related to the tanagers and buntings, having a slender downward-curving bill and feeding on nectar 2 any bird of the family Drepanididae of Hawaii honey-eater n any small arboreal songbird of the Australasian family Meliphagidae, having a downward-curving bill and a brushlike tongue specialized for extracting nectar from flowers honey fungus n an edible basidiomycetous fungus, Armillaria mellea, having a yellow-spotted cap and wrinkled stems, parasitic on the roots of woody plants, which it may kill by root rot.

It spreads by thin black underground strands, (Also called) bootlace fungus honey guide n any small bird of the family Indicatoridae, inhabiting tropical forests of Africa and Asia and feeding on beeswax, honey, and insects: order Piciformes (woodpeckers, etc.) honey locust n 1 a thorny mimosaceous tree, Gleditsia triacanthos of E North America, that has long pods containing a sweet-tasting pulp 2 another name for → mesquite honey mesquite n another name for → mesquite honey mouse , phalanger n a small agile Australian marsupial, Tarsipes spenserae, having dark-striped pale brown fur, a long prehensile tail, and a very long snout and tongue with which it feeds on honey, pollen, and insects: family Phalangeridae, (Also called) honeysucker honey plant n any of various plants that are particularly useful in providing bees with nectar honey-sweet land of milk and honey n Kinkajous Kinkajous Last updated: Jun 17, 2015 Hilights Status in the Wild: Common Habitat: Cloud Forests, Rainforests, Tropical Dry Forests

 Diet: Omnivore This mammal is also known as the honey bear, due to its proclivity for flower nectar and sweet fruits.

In Spanish, kinkajous are called "martillas" or "martas." read more close Kinkajous are mostly nocturnal and live in dense forest canopy and tree hollows. An average adult weighs 4-7 pounds, measures 16-24 inches in length and has a 16-22 inch tail. Their coats are thick with two layers of fur: a gray undercoat and gold or brown-gray outer coat. These mammals are marked by small ears and proportionally large eyes. Though they live in trees and have prehensile tails, kinkajous are part of the Procyonidae family and are closely related to raccoons and coatimundis. Kinkajous are omnivores; their diet consists of fruits, flowers, young leaves and legumes along with insects, small vertebrates and bird eggs. To aid in their arboreal escapades, kinkajous have flexible knees and ankles that can rotate 180º, allowing the animals to descend trees headfirst or hang from branches. They also have very long tongues ideal for collecting nectar and tasting flowers. Little research has been conducted on kinkajou social arrangements.

Scientists believe the species is most solitary, and home ranges – approximately 25-100 acres – may be exclusive to one kinkajou of each sex. However, kinkajous have also been spotted living in small groups, and individuals have been observed playing, foraging and sleeping together for several months before separating. Habitat: Kinkajous are native to Central and South America, from southern Mexico south through northern Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. In Costa Rica, they inhabit forested areas up to 7,200 feet in elevation. Since they are nocturnal, the best chance of sighting one is on a night tour, especially in Monteverde and along the Osa Peninsula. Reproduction: Kinkajou mating rituals in the wild have rarely been studied, so little is known about their reproduction. Scientists do know that kinkajou gestation lasts about four months, and mothers give birth to one baby; litters of two offspring are possible, but uncommon. Male kinkajous reach sexual maturity at 18 months, while females will not be sexually mature until three years of age.

Status in the Wild: Though they are classified as common, of least concern, kinkajous cannot survive in deforested areas and therefore are very sensitive to habitat loss. Kinkajou hunting is not permitted in Costa Rica, but the species is sometimes poached for its pelt, or captured for export on the international exotic pet market. User blog:Ryushusupercat/The Exotic Animal Blog | Sonic Fanon Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Kinkajou The Kinkajou (Potos flavus), also known as the honey bear (a name it shares with the sun bear), is a rainforest mammal of the family Procyonidae related to the olingo, ringtail, cacomistle, raccoon, and coati. It is the only member of the genus Potos. Kinkajous may be mistaken for ferrets or monkeys, but are not related. Native to Central America and South America, this arboreal mammal is not an endangered species, though it is seldom seen by people because of its strict nocturnal habits. However, they are hunted for the pet trade, for their fur (to make wallets and horse saddles) and for their meat.

Cacomistle The Cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti) is a nocturnal, arboreal and omnivorous member of the carnivoran family Procyonidae. Its preferred habitats are wet, tropical evergreen woodlands and mountain forests, though seasonally it will range into drier deciduous forests. Nowhere in its range (from southern Mexico to western Panama) is B. sumichrasti common. This is especially true in Costa Rica, where it inhabits only a very small area. It is completely dependent on forest habitat, making it particularly susceptible to deforestation. The term cacomistle is from the Nahuatl language (tlahcomiztli) and means "half cat" or "half mountain lion"; it is sometimes also used to refer to the ringtailed cat, Bassariscus astutus, a similar species that inhabits arid northern Mexico and the American Southwest. Agouti The popular term (common) agouti designates several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta that inhabit areas of Middle America, the West Indies, and northern South America. They are related to guinea pigs and look quite similar but have longer legs.

The species vary in color from tawny to dark brown with lighter underparts. Their body is covered with coarse hair which is raised when alarmed. They are about 20 in. in length with a short hairless tail. Agoutis have five front and three hind toes; the first toe is very small. The tail is very short or non-existent and hairless. The molar teeth have cylindrical crowns, with several islands and a single lateral fold of enamel. Agoutis may grow to be up to 60 cm in length and 4 kg in weight. Most species have a brown back and a whitish or buffy belly; the fur may have a glossy appearance and then glimmers in an orange colour. Reports differ as to whether they are diurnal or nocturnal animals Pacarana The Pacarana (Dinomys branickii) is a rare and slow-moving nocturnal rodent found only in tropical forests of the western Amazon River basin and adjacent foothills of the Andes Mountains from northwestern Venezuela and Colombia to western Bolivia, including the yungas. One place that it is common is Cotapata National Park in Bolivia.

It is known as the pacarama (false paca) by native Indians due to its superficial similarity to a different caviomorph rodent, the paca. Paca A paca is a member of the genus Cuniculus of ground-dwelling, herbivorous rodents in South and Central America. It is the only genus in the family Cuniculidae. They are large rodents with dots and stripes on their sides, short ears, and barely visible tails. Tuco-Tuco A tuco-tuco is a neotropical rodent in the family Ctenomyidae. Tuco-tucos belong to the only living genus of the family Ctenomyidae, Ctenomys, but they include approximately 60 different species. The common name, "tuco-tuco" comes from the "tuc-tuc" sound they make while they dig their burrows. Rakali Hydromys chrysogaster, commonly known as Rakali or Water-rat, is an Australian native rodent.

The species lives in burrows on the banks of rivers, lakes and estuaries and feeds on aquatic insects, fish, crustaceans, mussels, snails, frogs, birds' eggs and water birds. Rakali have a body 231–370 millimetres (9.1–15 in) in length, weigh 340–1,275 grams (0.75–2.81 lb), and have a thick tail measuring around 242–345 millimetres (9.5–13.6 in). They have webbed hind legs, waterproof fur, a flattened head, a long blunt nose, many whiskers and small ears and eyes. They are black to brown in colour with an orange to white belly, and dark tail with a white tip. Dhole The Dhole (Cuon alpinus), also known as the Asiatic Wild Dog, Indian Wild Dog or Red Dog is an endangered species of Asian canid, and the only member of the genus Cuon. It once ranged across East and South Asia from Russia Far East to Sumatra.

Their range is severely fragmented and reduced and there are little over 2,000 individuals left in the wild. The current situation of Dhole receives significantly little attention compared to its equally endangered relative the African Wild Dog, due to a lack of portraits of the species in popular media and documentary films. Culpeo The Culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus), sometimes known as the Culpeo zorro or Andean Fox (Wolf), is a South American species of wild dog. It is the second largest native canid on the continent after the Maned Wolf. In its appearance it bears many similarities to the widely recognized red fox. It has gray and reddish fur, a white chin, reddish legs, and a stripe on its back that may be barely visible. Binturong/Bearcat The Binturong (Arctictis binturong), also known as the Asian Bearcat, the Palawan Bearcat, or simply the Bearcat, is a species of the family Viverridae, which includes the civets and genets. It is the only member of its genus.

The binturong is neither a bear nor a cat, and the real meaning of the original name has been lost, as the local language that gave it that name is now extinct. Its natural habitat is in trees of forest canopy in rainforest of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Fanaloka The Malagasy or striped civet (Fossa fossana), also known as the Fanaloka , is a rare euplerid endemic to Madagascar. Previously, the Malagasy Civet was placed in the subfamily Hemigalinae with the banded palm civets and then in its own subfamily, Fossinae, but it is now classified as a member of the subfamily Euplerinae. It has also been classified Fossa fossa. It should not be confused with the fossa (common name), a similar animal also endemic to Madagascar, which has the scientific name Cryptoprocta ferox. Nor is it the same as the related—and similarly named—Malagasy carnivore the falanouc, which is also a euplerine.

Fossa The Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) is a mammal endemic to Madagascar. A member of family Eupleridae, it is closely related to the mongoose. It is the largest mammalian carnivore on the island of Madagascar, the largest carnivore there being the Nile crocodile. Grison The Grison , also known as the South American glutton, is a neotropical mustelid of South America. Comprising the genus Galictis, it is divided into two species: the greater grison (Galictis vittata), which is found widely in South America, through Central America to southern Mexico; and the lesser grison (Galictis cuja), which is restricted to the southern half of South America. The grison generally resemble a mink, but with a shorter tail, shorter legs, and more robust body. The pelage along the back is a frosted gray with black legs, throat, face, and belly. A sharp white stripe extends from the forehead to the back of the neck. Mink There are ten living species referred to as " mink ": the American Mink and the European Mink.

The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and the otters and ferrets. The American Mink is larger and more adaptable than the European Mink. It is sometimes possible to distinguish between the European and American mink; a European Mink always has a large white patch on its upper lip, while the American species sometimes does not. Thus, any mink without such a patch can be identified with certainty as an American Mink, but an individual with a patch cannot be certainly identified without looking at the skeleton. Taxonomically, both American and European Minks used to be placed in the same genus Mustela ("Weasels"), but most recently the American Mink has been re-classified as belonging to its own genus Neovison. Ferret The Ferret is a domesticated mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females.

They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur, have an average length of 20 inches (51 cm) including a 5 inch (13 cm) tail, weigh about 1.5–4 pounds (0.7–2 kg), and have a natural lifespan of 7 to 10 years. Tayra The tayra (Eira barbara), also known as the Tolomuco or Perico ligero in Central America, and San Hol or viejo de monte in the Yucatan Peninsula is an omnivorous animal from the weasel family Mustelidae. It is the only species in the genus Eira. There are at least nine known subspecies. Tayras have an appearance similar to weasels and martens, growing to a size of about 60 cm, not including a 45 cm long tail. Most tayras have either dark brown or black fur with a lighter patch on its chest. The fur on its head changes to brown or gray as it ages.

Ratel The Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis), also known as the Ratel , is a monotypic species of mustelid native to Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. Despite its name, the honey badger does not closely resemble other badger species, instead bearing more anatomical similarities to weasels. It is a primarily carnivorous species, and has few natural predators due to its thick skin and ferocious defensive abilities. Kowari The Kowari (Dasyuroides byrnei), also known as the Brush-tailed Marsupial Rat, Kayer Rat, Byrne's Crest-tailed Marsupial Rat, Bushy-tailed Marsupial Rat and Kawiri, is a small carnivorous marsupial native to the dry grasslands and deserts of central Australia. It is monotypical of its genus. Quokka The Quokka (Setonix brachyurus), the only member of the genus Setonix, is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat. Like other marsupials in the macropod family (such as the kangaroos and wallabies), the Quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal.

It can be found on some smaller islands off the coast of Western Australia, in particular on Rottnest Island just off Perth and Bald Island near Albany. A small mainland colony exists in the protected area Two Peoples Bay, where they co-exist with Gilbert's Potoroo. Bettong The Eastern Bettong (Bettongia gaimardi), also known as the Southern Bettong and Tasmanian Bettong, is a bettong whose natural range includes south-eastern Australia and the eastern part of Tasmania. Following the introduction of the red fox, it became extinct on mainland Australia around 1890. Tasmanian Devil The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a carnivorous marsupial now found in the wild only in the Australian island state of Tasmania. The Tasmanian devil is the only extant member of the genus Sarcophilus. The size of a small dog, but stocky and muscular, the Tasmanian devil is now the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world after the extinction of the thylacine in 1936.

It is characterized by its black fur, pungent odor when stressed, extremely loud and disturbing screech, and ferocity when feeding. It is known to both hunt prey and scavenge carrion and although it is usually solitary, it sometimes eats with other devils. Thylacine The thylacine was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger (because of its striped back), the Tasmanian wolf, and colloquially the Tassie tiger or simply the tiger. Native to continental Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, it is thought to have become extinct in the 20th century. It was the last extant member of its genus, Thylacinus, although several related species have been found in the fossil record dating back to the early Miocene. Moles Moles are the majority of the members of the mammal family Talpidae in the order Soricomorpha. Although moles burrow, some species are semi-aquatic. Moles have cylindrical bodies covered in fur while the ears are generally not visible. They have small or covered eyes and can probably still tell night from day, although they are otherwise blind.

Moles eat small invertebrates living underground. Moles can be found in most parts of North America, Asia, and Europe, although there are no moles in Ireland. Shrew A shrew or shrew mouse (Soricidae) is a small mammal classified in the order Soricomorpha. True shrews are also not to be confused with West Indies shrews, treeshrews, otter shrews, or elephant shrews, which belong to different families or orders. Although its external appearance is generally that of a long-nosed mouse, a shrew is not a rodent, as mice are, and not closely related to rodents. Shrews have sharp, spike-like teeth, not the familiar gnawing front incisor teeth of rodents. Desman The desman a snouted and naked-tailed diving insectivore of the tribe Desmanini, belongs to one of two Eurasian species of the mole family, Talpidae. This tribe consists of two species of aquatic or semi-aquatic insectivores found in Europe; one in Russia and the other in the Pyrenees. Both species are considered to be vulnerable.

They have webbed paws and their front paws are not designed for digging. Pangolin A pangolin (pronounced /ˈpæŋɡəlɪn/), also scaly anteater or Tenggiling, is a mammal of the order Pholidota. There is only one extant family (Manidae) and one genus (Manis) of pangolins, comprising eight species. There are also a number of extinct taxa. Pangolins have large keratin scales covering their skin and are the only mammals with this adaptation. They are found in tropical regions of Africa and Asia. The name "pangolin" derives from the Malay word pengguling ("something that rolls up"). Gymnure Gymnures , also called hairy hedgehogs or moonrats, are mammals belonging to the subfamily Galericinae, in the family Erinaceidae and the order Erinaceomorpha. Although more closely related to hedgehogs, they look like very large rats.

Although its closest relative is the hedgehog, full grown specimens more closely resemble large rats, or the North American Virginia Opossum, (Didelphis virginianis), with which it shares similar habits and ecological niches (an example of parallel evolution). The gymnure's body plan is believed to resemble that of the earliest mammals, with a large toothy head about 1/3rd the length of the total body, a naked furless tail for balance and thermoregulatory purposes, and a plantigrade stance. They also have an outstanding sense of smell, and tactile response in the snout region. The somewhat related star-nosed moles have noses so innervated that they can readily detect and discern microscopic texture features. Aardvark The Aardvark (/ˈɑːrd.vɑːrk/ ard-vark, Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa.[3] It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata,[4][5] although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. As its name suggests, it resembles a pig with a long snout, which is used to sniff out food.

It roams over most of the southern two-thirds of the continent, avoiding mainly rocky areas. A nocturnal feeder, it subsists on ants and termites, which it will dig out of their hills using its sharp claws and powerful legs. It also will utilize its digging ability to create burrows in which to live and rear its young. Even though its numbers seem to be decreasing, it receives a "least concern" rating from the IUCN. Tapir A Tapir (/ˈteɪpər/ tay-pər or /təˈpɪər/ tə-peer) is a large herbivorous mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. The five extant species of tapirs are the Brazilian tapir, the Malayan tapir, Baird's tapir, the kabomani tapir, and the mountain tapir. The four species that have been evaluated (The Brazilian, Malayan, Baird's and mountain tapir) have all been classified as endangered or vulnerable.

Their closest relatives are the other odd-toed ungulates, including horses and rhinoceroses. Notes While in real life, "Ermine" and "Stoat" refer to the same kind of animal, this user sees them as two separate animals (although still in the Mustelidae family). The most notable difference between the two is the shorter, rounder ears the stoat has. The stoat also has a somewhat shorter, rounder snout. The scientific order of the hedgehog, Erinaceomorpha, is actually branched off from the order Soricomorpha.

Question: Which small mammal, native to Central and South America, may also be called the Honey Bear or Potto?
Answer: Kinkajou