Species profile

Name: the kinkajou (Potos flavus) is a rainforest mammal that is also known as the ‘honey bear’.

Appearance: its woolly fur consists of an outer coat of gold (or brownish-gray) on top of a gray undercoat. The kinkajou has large eyes and small ears. Its legs are short with five toes on each foot and sharp claws.

Size: an adult can weigh up to 4.6 kg and grow to 60 cm, with the tail adding a further 60 cm.

Diet: although the kinkajou is technically a carnivore and has sharp teeth, its diet consists mostly of fruit, particularly figs.

Did you know: the kinkajou has a long tongue which helps it to obtain fruit and lick nectar from flowers – it also means that it can help to pollinate flowers.

Location: kinkajous are native to forests in Central and South America.

Best places to see kinkajous

According to reports submitted to WildSide, the best places to see kinkajous are as follows:

Photo credit: B Mlry, under a Creative Commons license from Flickr