Home
SEE TRIPS
  • Top Destinations
PLAN MY VISIT →
  1. Home
  2. Flora & Fauna
  3. Mammal

Kinkajou

Kinkajou (Potos flavus)Spanish Name: Martilla, Cuchicuchi

Kinkajou
←→
  • Sightings

  • La Selva Biological Station
    Aviarios del Caribe Reserve
    Corcovado National Park
    Curi-Cancha Reserve
    Penas Blancas National Park
    Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
    Sirena Biological Station
    Santa Rosa National Park

    Habitat
    The kinkajou lives in the canopy of several stages of forest, including mature, disturbed, and secondary rainforest; they may also be found in gallery forest, deciduous forest, and sometimes gardens and plantations.

    Range
    This mammal lives from Veracruz, Mexico to Mato Grosso, Brazil; it is rarely above 500 m, but may reach 1,750 m in elevation.

    Physical Description
    Reddish to smoky gray-brown, this monkey-like animal often has a dark brown stripe on its back. Its underside is yellow to pale orange. Their bodies are covered in dense, soft, short fur. The round head and face are red-brown to black with a short pointed muzzle. Kinkajous have large, round, brown eyes set far apart; in the moonlight (or the beam of a flashlight), their eyeshine is yellow-white to greenish white. They have a long, extensible tongue that is dark at the tip.

    The kinkajou has long curved claws that help it live arboreally high up in the canopy. It is extremely agile and muscular, but surprisingly short-legged for their movements. It has a long back and a distinct prehensile, tapered tail that it usually keeps curled around a branch while moving or feeding. This animal is noisy as it runs and jumps from tree to tree at night.

    Olingos look similar to kinkajous, but they can be told apart because the olingo is smaller, has a nonprehensile tail with a bushy tip, and at night the olingo's belly looks dark, whereas the kinkajou's looks pale.

    Biology and Natural History
    Widespread and common, the kinkajou persists although it is hunted for meat and the pet trade.

    Kinkajous often live solitarily, or in pairs, but several kinkajous may feed in a tree at one time at night; during the day they sleep in tree hollows. Several males may have large ranges that overlap a female's smaller range. She will have one baby at a time, and they will keep their bond for a while. Kinkajous are highly vocal, using sneezing whistles and other sounds.

    Diet
    This mammal mostly eats fruits, especially figs, as well as insects, especially ants; it may also eat arboreal vertebrates. In the dry season it drinks flower nectar. This species is an important disperser of Ficus spp., Virola spp., and Inga spp.

    Height/Weight
    The head and body length is 0.5 m; tail length 0.45 m; they weight about 3 kg.

    Taxonomy
    Order: Carnivora
    Family: Procyonidae

    Sources
    Eisenberg, John. Mammals of the Neotropics, Vol. 1. The University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1989.

    Emmons, Louise H. Neotropical Rainforest Mammals: A Field Guide, 2nd Ed. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1990.

    Wilson, D. E. in Janzen, Daniel H. Costa Rican Natural History. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1983.

    -Amy Strieter, Wildlife Writer

  • Similar Profiles

  • Capybara, Rodent - Vertebrate
    Armadillo
    Red Brocket Deer
    White-lipped Peccaries
    Tayra
    Oncilla
    Puma
    Squirrel Monkey
    Panamanian Night Monkey
    Mantled Howler Monkey
    Vampire Bat
    Jaguar
    Coati
    Margay
    Ocelot
    Paca
    White-Faced or Capuchin Monkey
    Three-Toed Sloth
    Baird's Tapir
    Collared Peccary
    Jaguarundi
    Two-Toed Sloth
    Spider Monkey
    Agouti
    Fishing Bulldog Bat
    Olingo
    Excellent!
    Trustpilot Rating
    Based on 705 reviews
    Trustpilot
    Will use them again!
    Communicative, helpful and honest. They stuck to my budget and accommodated my changes. My kids and I had such a good ti...
    Dec 01, 2022
    – Kayla C.
    Trustpilot Rating
    100 Stars!!
    If I could give 100 stars, I would wholeheartedly. All the booked activities were excellent and pricing was unbeatable. ...
    Nov 30, 2022
    – Ravi D.
    Trustpilot Rating
    One of the best I have ever used
    Having traveled a lot, I have used many travel companies. The responsiveness and efforts to meet our needs were unmatche...
    Dec 08, 2022
    – A. Hershe.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Above & Beyond in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, & Laos
    Thank you to the entire team that made this trip so memorable for us. We appreciate your warmth and going above and beyo...
    Jun 20, 2022
    – Sapna
    Trustpilot Rating
    Best way to travel!
    I trusted Harold from Anywhere.com to plan my family's vacation. Harold went above and beyond in making sure that our tr...
    Oct 04, 2021
    – Shivani P.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Profesionalism at its Best
    My experience with Anywhere.com in Costa Rica was perfection. All of the drivers were punctual and pleasant; and all of ...
    Aug 02, 2021
    – Natasha I.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Anywhere is OUTSTANDING!
    My family & I have used Anywhere to organize 3 vacations- Costa Rica, Peru, & now Ecuador. I would not hesitate to use t...
    Jul 29, 2021
    – Kara V.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Awesome vacation, everything went smoothly
    Our agent (Erick) planned a great trip for our family of 5. All the tours were excellent, all the transport and lodging ...
    Mar 17, 2020
    – David
    Trustpilot Rating
    Everything Anywhere said they would do…
    Everything Anywhere said they would do they did. Very professional and friendly staff.
    Mar 16, 2020
    – Darrell
    Trustpilot Rating
    We were very reassured in constructing…
    We were very reassured in constructing our trip using Anywhere.com as the team responded promptly to our questions in a ...
    Mar 16, 2020
    – Michael
    Trustpilot Rating
    Great service!
    Great service!
    Mar 15, 2020
    – Kyle K
    Trustpilot Rating
    If I could give 100+stars, I would.
    If I could give 100+stars, I would.
    Mar 15, 2020
    – Jerry Pos.
    Trustpilot Rating
    I gave Anywhere a 48hr turnaround time…
    I gave Anywhere a 48hr turnaround time before our departure to provide an itineary based on what we already researched a...
    Mar 14, 2020
    – Thomas hi.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Anywhere.com was so easy to work with
    Anywhere.com was so easy to work with. They made booking my transfers a pleasant experience. And I even had some last ...
    Mar 14, 2020
    – Ashley Ba.
    Trustpilot Rating
    Perfectly planned
    Perfectly planned. The trip went off with all (5) transfers on time and all our accommodations meeting or exceeding our...
    Mar 14, 2020
    – John C.
    Trustpilot Rating

    Let's Dream Together

    Share your bucketlist to get inspiration and local connections.

    We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.

    Costa Rica Vacations
    • Adventure
    • All-inclusive
    • Beach
    • Budget
    • Eco-tourism
    • Family
    • Group
    • Honeymoon
    • Luxury
    • Nature
    • Private
    • Rainforest
    • Romantic
    Highlights
    • Top Destinations
    • Beaches
    • Rainforests
    • Cloudforest
    • Volcanoes
    • Waterfalls
    • Surfing
    • Leisure
    • Off the Beaten Path
    • Airports
    Costa Rica Travel
    • Maps
    • Safety
    • Weather & Climate
    • Sustainability
    • Holiday Season
    • Currency
    • Driving & Car Rental
    • Getting Around
    PLACES TO GO
    • Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs
    • Monteverde Cloudforests
    • Manuel Antonio Beach & Jungle
    • Tamarindo Beach
    • Santa Theresa & Malpais Beaches
    • Puerto Viejo Beach
    • Nosara Beach
    • Jaco Beach
    • Tortuguero Rainforest
    • Corcovado Rainforest
    • Rincon de la Vieja Volcano & Waterfall
    • Nicoya Peninsula
    • Guanacaste Beaches
    • Osa Peninsula
    THINGS TO DO
    • Hot Springs
    • Zip Lines
    • Suspension Bridges
    • Horseback
    • Rappel
    • Wildlife
    • Hiking
    • Chocolate Farms
    • Whitewater Rafting
    • Coffee Farms
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Surfing
    • Sport Fishing
    • Birdwatching
    • Scuba Diving
    • Catamaran Cruise
    • Indigenous Culture
    • Yoga
    • Wellness
    • Cave Exploration
    Trustpilot 5 of 5 rated service
    Trustpilot "Excellent"
    Plan My Visit→+1 (888) 456-3212
    MessengerContact AnywhereWhatsapp ContactCall USA: +1-888-456-3212

    © 2023 Anywhere Inc. All rights reserved.Privacy Policy