Kinkajou (Potos flavus) Fact Sheet: Summary

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Suborder: Caniformia

Family: Procyonidae

Genus: Potos

Species: Potos flavus* - kinkajou

*DNA suggests possible species or subspecies structuring; not yet formally recognized.

Body Weight
1.4-4.6 kg (3.1-10.1 lb)

Body Length
Male: 390-542 mm (1.3-1.8 ft)
Female: 364-547 mm (1.2-1.8 ft)

Tail Length
Male: 420-570 mm (1.4-1.9 ft)
405-570 mm (1.3-1.9 ft)

Pelage: Short, shoft, wooly hair covers the body. Back golden brown; belly creamy yellow or orangish.

Range: Neotropical; southern Mexico to Bolivia.

Habitat: Inhabits closed canopy forests. Prefer undisturbed sites in mature stages of development.

IUCN Status: Least Concern (2015 assessment). Widely distributed and adaptable to a degree of human land-use change; no evidence of significant population declines.

CITES Appendix: Apprendix III for Honduras

Other Designations: Mexican Red List species; given special protection.

Population in Wild: No published estimates of population size; numbers are likely decreasing.

Locomotion: Jump and climb through the forest canopy. Highly adept and agile, the tail is often used to secure and balance the body when crossing gaps between supports.

Activity Cycle: Nocturnal; kinkajou sleep during the day and search for food at night. Nightly forays typically last for 8-11 hours and end prior to dawn.

Social Groups: Most often solitary, kinkajou are known to associate in small groups. Typical groups are composed of 1 female, her offspring, and 1-2 adult males.

Diet: Frugivores; fruit makes up 90% of the kinkajous' diet. Flowers, leaves, honey, nectar, and insects are also eaten.

Predators
Jaguar, puma, ocelot, Harpy and Isidor's eagles, and humans.

Sexual Maturity: 1.5-2.2 yrs

Gestation: 98-120 days

Litter Size: 1 most typically; rarely 2

Interbirth Interval: c. 1 yr

Birth Weight: 150-200 g (0.33-0.44 lb)

Age at Weaning: c. 4 months

Typical Life Expectancy:
Managed care: median life expectancy of about 26 years

Feature Facts

• Sometimes nicknamed "honey bear" or "nightwalker"
• More closely related to raccoons than primates
• Native to Central and South America
• Prehensile tail; allows for movement through forest canopy and aids balance
• Curious
• Forage for fruits at night; help to disperse seeds and pollinate flowers
• Most often solitary. A female and her young are sometimes joined by one or more males. These small groupings often den together and may be seen feeding in close proximity to one another.
• First housed at the San Diego Zoo in 1922