A tree-dwelling relative of raccoons and coatis from the rainforests of Mexico and Central and South America. It is strictly nocturnal, has a long prehensile tail, and eats mostly ripe fruit, especially figs. It is also called the honey bear.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
So strictly nocturnal that people seldom see it.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Sometimes kept as an exotic pet: playful and quiet, but it can occasionally be aggressive.
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inSouth America, Central America
HabitatRainforest
ColoursGold, Brown
SizeSmall
Length82–133 cm, including a 39–57 cm tail
Weight1.4–4.6 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for20–25 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Tropical rainforests of Mexico, Central America and South America.
- What it eats
- About 90% fruit, mostly figs, plus leaves, flowers, nectar and sometimes ants.
Did you know
Has a 13 cm tongue for raiding flowers, and a tail it can hang from.
Its slender 13 cm tongue scoops fruit pulp and licks nectar from flowers, so it may help pollinate them.
Kinkajous may live up to 40 years in captivity.
Often confused with
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