Evolution has created amazing creatures that amaze the imagination with their appearance and unique abilities. Kinkajou (Kinkajou), living in the jungle of South America, does not look so extravagant as the platypus or malicious, but is also able to surprise. Perhaps you have never heard of him, but in your homeland this animal is so popular that it is kept even as a pet.
Bear, raccoon or Wolverine?
Kinkaju, or a tenacious bear, belongs to the raccoon family (Procyonidae). Moreover, he is the only representative of the genus Potos. You need to start with the fact that the name “Kinkajou” appeared by chance. The French immigrants who met this animal in Guiana decided that it resembled Wolverine. In fact, the word is translated from one of the Indian languages precisely as “Wolverine”.
Despite the predatory origin, Kinkazh prefers fruits, flower nectar and honey meat. If there is none of the above, then the animal can eat a frog, a small rodent or a bird. In size, this animal is compared with a small cat, and weighs only about 5 kg. He has a round head, widely placed round ears and big eyes. The animal’s muzzle is somewhat reminiscent of a bear, from where its second name appeared.
Monkey tail
Kinkazh is covered with thick silky fur. On the back it is reddish-brown, and on his stomach-bright red with a yellowish tint. The tail deserves special attention: it is long, with a darker color than the back. It is the tail that makes the kinkazh unique among predators. This is the only representative of predatory mammals known to science, who uses the tail as an additional limb, like a monkey.
This feature is extremely useful, because most of the life is Kinkazhi on trees. They even arrange a dwelling high in hollows, away from the ground. In these animals, paws are equipped with sharp claws and bare palms. The hind legs are noticeably longer than the front ones, and the feet are able to turn 180 degrees. Thanks to this kinkazh, it masterfully climbs trees.
Kinkazh leads a night lifestyle. In the afternoon he rests, and at night goes in search of food. These animals are so deftly moving along the branches at high altitude that they can easily be mistaken for primates. They go out by hunting one by one or in pairs. Their main tool is a thin tongue up to 13 cm long. It helps to extract nectar from the depths of the flowers and explore secluded places under the bark in search of small living creatures.
Social life kinkazh
Most of the time Kinkazh live alone. However, if they find a place where there is a lot of food, then they do not compete with each other, but calmly eat together. These animals communicate with each other, making sounds similar to a mixture of barking and meowing.
The pairs of Kinkaju are formed for a short while. The pregnancy of the female lasts about four months, and all this time she continues to cleverly jump from wood to wood. After the birth of babies – usually one or two – the male leaves the family. The cubs quickly become independent. Males are ready to reproduce at a year and a half, and females are closer to two and a half.
About 10-11 years live in the wild, and in captivity, their life expectancy can reach 25 years. In tropical forests, tenacious bears have practically no natural enemies. True, next to people, dogs and cats sometimes try to hunt these animals, but thanks to the dexterity of kinkazh, such attempts rarely end in success.
Kinkaju and people
They try to stay away from people and practically no interest for hunters. Sometimes they climb fruit plantations, but since they live one by one, the damage from such visits is minimal. If the kinkazh is in the hands of a person, then only as a domestic animal. The animals that came to a person with cubs or born in captivity quickly become manual.
Home kinkazhi Paris Hilton
But it is better to stay away from wild kinkaju. These small predators are often carriers of Kingella Potus bacterial infection. For the animals themselves, it is harmless, but with a bite, it can change to a person and cause serious problems. In the infected, the temperature rises, cramps begin in the stomach, headaches, and urine is painted with blood. Fortunately, the disease is successfully treated with antibiotics.
Significant territories of South and Central America are inhabited by kinkazh. They can be found in the wet forests of Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Nicaragua and even in the southeast of Mexico. At the moment, their population is safe. But it is possible that over time the situation will change, since a person intensively masters the forests where these animals live.
Kinkazh is a real miracle of nature. They delight with their dexterity and unique features, for example, using the tail as an additional limb. What do you think about exotic animals? Would you like to have a kinkazh at home? Or, perhaps, you know other unusual pets that could compare with him in originality? Share your thoughts in the comments!
See also – the most unusual pets of celebrities
Did you know that we have Telegram?
Subscribe if you are a connoisseur of beautiful photos and interesting stories!
