Potos Flavus

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in biology, Potos Flavus (Alias:Kinkajou or Potos) It is a mammal of the genus Potos in the family Procyonidae. The body length is about 82 to 133 cm, and the weight is about 2 to 4.6 kg. The male is larger than the female. The outer fur is usually golden, and there are also other color variants. The eyes are large, the ears are small, the trunk is short, the legs are slender, and the tail is flexible and has It is twine-like, its head can rotate 180 degrees, and its tongue is 13 cm long, which can be used to pick fruits or suck nectar from flowers. Honey bears are named for their love of eating honey.

Honey bears are native to Central and South America. They are nocturnal and most active between 7 p.m. and midnight and one hour before dawn. Honey bears live in groups. The olfactory glands in their abdomen can be used to delineate territories. Most of them are Forages alone, sometimes in groups or with dogs and raccoons. It mainly eats fruits, but sometimes eggs, insects and birds. Honey bears have an average litter of one to two. The cubs are weaned eight weeks after birth and can live independently after four months. The cubs are mainly fed by the female. The average lifespan of wild honey bears is 29 years old, and they can live up to 49 years old in captivity. The reproduction rate in the wild is extremely low.

The common name "kinkajou" derives from French: quincajou, based on the Algonquian name for the wolverine. It is similar to the Ojibwe word kwi·nkwaʔa·ke. Its other names in English include honey bear, night ape, and night walker. Throughout its range, several regional names are used; for instance, the Dutch names nachtaap, rolbeer, and rolstaartbeer are used in Suriname. Many names come from Portuguese, Spanish, and local dialects, such as jupará, huasa, cuchi cuchi, leoncillo, marta, perro de monte, and yapará.

A. M. Husson, of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (Leiden), discussed the rather complicated nomenclature of the kinkajou in The Mammals of Suriname (1978). In his 1774 work Die Säugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, Schreber listed three items under the name "Lemur flavus Penn.": on page 145 is a short translation of Pennant's description of the yellow maucauco (later identified to be Lemur mongoz, presently known as the mongoose lemur) from his 1771 work A Synopsis of Quadrupeds (page 138, second figure on plate 16); on plate 42 is a depiction of the yellow maucauco by Schreber; the last item is a reference to A Synopsis of Quadrupeds itself. Husson noted that the last item is actually Pennant's description of an animal that is clearly a kinkajou. Husson therefore concluded that Lemur flavus is actually a "composite species" based on Schreber's specimen of the mongoose lemur and Pennant's specimen of the kinkajou, and identified the latter as the lectotype for the species. The type locality reported by Schreber for L. flavus ("the mountains in Jamaica") was clearly based on Pennant's description of the kinkajou, who claimed, however, that his specimen was "shown about three years ago in London: its keeper said it came from the mountains of Jamaica". This error was pointed out by Thomas in 1902, who corrected the type locality to Suriname. He used the name Potos flavus for the kinkajou. The genus Potos was erected by Saint-Hilaire and Cuvier in 1795, with the type species Viverra caudivolvula described by Schreber in 1778 (later identified as a synonym of Potos flavus). In 1977 the family Cercoleptidae was proposed with the kinkajou as the sole member, but this classification was later dismissed.

Kinkajou has a body length of 40 to 60 centimeters, a tail length of 40 to 60 centimeters, and a weight of 2 to 4.6 kilograms. The male is slightly larger than the female. The outer fur is usually golden in color, although other color variations have been found.

The head can rotate 180°, the tongue is up to 13 cm long, the eyes are big, the ears are small, the trunk is short, the legs are slender, and the tail is flexible, which can be used to hang on trees. The claws are sharp and flexible, and can firmly grasp the trunk. The hind legs can Flip backwards, the spine is flexible and soft, and it can shuttle between branches. These are the guarantees of Kinkajou's arboreal life; when Kinkajou's front paws are used for eating, it can still be stabilized on the tree through its tail and hind limbs. Kinkajou can often be seen hanging upside down in the tree. Eating in trees.

Mainly distributed in Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), etc.

Kinkajou live in a variety of forest habitats. Including tropical dry forests, secondary forests, Amazon rainforests, Atlantic coastal forests, tropical evergreen forests and forest-steppe areas.

Activity

Kinkajou are nocturnal, arboreal animals, most active between 7pm and midnight and the hour before dawn. They sleep in tree holes or in the shade during the day. Their tails can grab things and help climb trees. They do not use their tails to catch food. Smell glands near the mouth, throat and abdomen are used to delineate territory and travel routes. Kinkajou live in groups. They often forage alone, sometimes in groups or with raccoons.

feeding habits

Kinkajou are omnivorous and have sharp teeth. They mainly eat fruits, but sometimes eggs, insects and birds. Kinkajou's tongue is 13 centimeters long and is used to pick fruits or eat nectar from flowers. Kinkajou have eaten honey in captivity, but there are no records of it in the wild.

communicate

Kinkajou communicates in different voices. Their screams were high-pitched, like a woman's scream. Their senses of touch and smell are very sensitive, but their vision is poor and they cannot distinguish colors.

Kinkajou usually mark their territory and leave messages through scent secreted by their glands.

Kinkajou are polyandrous or polygamous, usually one female and two males and their offspring form a group. Males usually use calls and smells to attract the attention of females, and will fight with other males. The female's estrus period is usually 17 days, which varies slightly in different habitats. Breeding can occur throughout the year, with males being dominant.

The cubs are viviparous, with an average of 1 to 2 cubs per litter, and the gestation period is 98 to 120 days. The cubs are weaned 8 weeks after birth, and reach sexual maturity after 820 days for females and 550 days for males; they can live independently after 4 months and are mainly fed by females.

The average lifespan of a wild Kinkajou is 29 years, but they can live up to 49 years in captivity. The reproduction rate in the wild is extremely low.

Kinkajous are sometimes kept as exotic pets. They are playful, generally quiet, docile, and have little odor, but they can occasionally be aggressive. Kinkajous dislike sudden movements, noise, and being awake during the day. An agitated kinkajou may emit a scream and attack, usually clawing its victim and sometimes biting deeply. In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that pet kinkajous in the United States can be carriers (fecal–oral route) of the raccoon roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis, which is capable of causing severe morbidity and even death in humans if the brain is infected. In 2023, National Geographic reported that escaped kinkajous pets were living in Florida.

In El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, pet kinkajous are commonly called micoleón, meaning "lion monkey". In Peru, pet kinkajous are frequently referred to as lirón, often described as a "bear-monkey". These names reflect its monkey-like body and obviously carnivoran head.

They typically live about 23 years in captivity, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 41 years.

protection level

Listed in the "World Conservation Union Red List of Threatened Species" (IUCN) 2015 ver 3.1 - LC (Least Concern).

Listed in Appendix III of the 2019 edition of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

Population status

Because it is an arboreal animal, it is impossible to accurately know the exact number of Kinkajou in the wild. However, due to the expansion of human settlements and deforestation, Kinkajou's activity range has gradually shrunk, and human desire for its fur and meat has made Kinkajou threatened by humans. The main natural enemies are eagles and jaguars.