What Type Of Animal Is A Kinkajou?

As with many small mammals in South America, kinkajous live in trees, hang by their tails and love to eat fruit and honey. However, they are not primates. Actually more closely-related to raccoons, kinkajous are one of only two members of the Carnivora order with prehensile tails, the other being the binturong.

Fully-grown kinkajous weigh 3-10lbs and have a total body length of 16-24 inches. In addition, their powerful tails may equal or exceed their bodies in length. Kinkajous have five toes on each foot and possess the ability to turn their back feet backwards. This allows them to descend trees headfirst.

Despite being considered carnivores, most of the kinkajou’s diet is made up of ripe fruit such as figs as well as honey. Small mammals, insects, and eggs are also eaten as well as flowers and nectar. The kinkajou’s particular feeding habits make it an important plant pollinator in the rainforest ecosystem.

Kinkajous live in the rainforest canopy ranging from southern Mexico to much of South America. They are nocturnal animals that usually forage alone in the dark of night, returning to sleep in tree holes with a family unit during daylight hours. Kinkajous can live for well over twenty years.

Backyard Nature - The Ringtail

Though nocturnal and not regularly seen, the ringtail is a relatively common animal throughout the southwestern United States and most of Mexico. This small mammal is named for the 14-16 black and white stripes that ring its tail; a tail that may exceed the animal’s body length.

Often referred to as a ring-tailed cat, miner’s cat, or civet cat, ringtails actually belong to the raccoon family and are not closely related to felines. Smaller than housecats, most ringtails have body lengths of less than sixteen inches and weigh no more than three pounds. The ringtail’s lithe body, long tail and 180-degree rotating ankles allow it to quickly move through rocky and tight terrain, even performing cartwheels and ricochet moves to change direction or negotiate obstacles.

Ringtails are extremely solitary animals and usually only socialize for mating purposes. They spend nighttime hours hunting and foraging for an omnivorous diet that includes berries, fruits, mice, insects, and birds. Their ability as mouse hunters combined with their tame nature led many miners in the nineteenth century to domesticate ringtails to rid cabins of vermin, hence the “miner’s cat” nickname.

The ringtail is currently the state mammal of Arizona.

The Generalists

How many of you have met a skunk? I'm happy to say that I have and that we parted ways amiably, no sharing of odors. Skunks are an increasing fixture in urban environments. Even if you haven't seen them (they are quiet, nocturnal and shy), you've surely smelled them. Even with all the hype, a skunk will only spray if it feels threatened or cornered. If you stay still and quiet, the skunk will too.

Skunks are like raccoons and foxes, happy to snack on your compost and garbage and then head for a nap in your shed. They are nomadic and will probably not stay in your yard for long, which is a shame as they are very beneficial. Skunks eat small rodents and insects and include scorpions and spiders on their menu. They are not as easily startled from a meal as opossums may be and they certainly don't mind sharing their dinner. There are reports of skunks entering homes through the pet doors. They share a nice meal with the family cat, and, when finished, they sleep it off in a nearby closet. Skunks are also carrion eaters and will handle a road kill faster than animal control.

I remember opening my mother's garage one night in early spring to find a skunk dozing peacefully behind her stowed lawn mower. We simply walked away, leaving the door open—wide open. When we went back a few hours later, he was gone. Skunks are clean, gentle animals that never seem to be in a hurry. The hurrying seems to come from the animals around them.

The Generalists

Our next urban dweller and generalist is the Fox. Although England has a higher population of urban foxes than we do in the States, it is probably because England has no raccoons for the fox to compete with. That doesn't mean the foxes aren't out there, prowling our cities and backyards. You could easily be blaming other animals—raccoons, coyotes, cats—for the mischief or mayhem that is actually being caused by the fox.

Foxes are as opportunistic as raccoons, helping themselves to shelter in our sheds and abandoned barns or grabbing a quick snack from our garbage cans and compost heaps. They just tend to be more secretive about it. Foxes canvas a wide territory, or range, and move their dens frequently. They tend to be more strictly nocturnal, although finding a fox basking on your trampoline in the afternoon sunshine is not cause for alarm. Foxes are unconcerned with the presence of your dog or cat (unless a large dog) and will tend to ignore them, or even play with them for a bit, before securing their snack and moving on. Foxes are not strictly carnivorous and include insects, vegetables and fruit in their diet. Unlike raccoons, foxes will not stay on your back porch to consume their meal, but instead cache it. This means a fox retreats with its food and finds a "safe" place to bury it. The food will be retrieved and eaten later, even much later. Foxes have an amazing sense of smell and have no problem finding their buried meals. So, the next time you blame your dog for digging up the kids pet rabbit, you might want to look for the sharp face and bushy tail of a fox.

This Youtube video is a little long (2 minutes), but the fox is having such fun, I couldn't resist.

The Generalists

Raccoons have benefited greatly from the presence of humans, something not many animals can claim. Their intelligence, omnivorous diet and amazing adaptability have caused raccoon populations to increase, even quadruple, in urban environments. As far as raccoons are concerned, humans host the perfect "bed and breakfast." With backyard gardens, compost heaps, and brimming garbage cans, we set a bountiful buffet. Our abandoned cars, sheds, decks and attics provide warm, safe dens. Our mere presence protects raccoons from predators. Coyotes, wolves, foxes and mountain lions will hesitate to invade our property for the sake of a raccoon. And we think raccoons are non-threatening and cute, something that definitely works in the raccoon's favor.

It is best to remember, raccoons are wild animals, even if they've become close neighbors. It is safer for you, your family, your pets and the raccoon to discourage interaction. Raccoons can carry rabies and parasites and will kill your pets to gain ownership of the outdoor food bowl. Simple precautions—weighting your trashcans, keeping them tightly sealed, feeding your pets indoors, closing crawl spaces or decking—will make your yard less attractive.

To learn more about raccoons and how interesting they are, visit our Animal Facts Pages.

The Generalists

Did you guess? Do you remember the question? I'd asked which animal relies on huge urban pigeon populations to help it survive in the city.

The answer is the Peregrine Falcon. Now I know you might be saying "Hold on there, Jungle Jane. I remember in the 1970s the Peregrine Falcon was critically endangered and extinct on the East Coast of the United States. True generalists don't get critically endangered, they thrive!"
And I would say, "You're right, unless the animal in question was driven to near extinction by humans." Now that the U.S. and other countries have banned the use of the pesticide DDT, the Peregrine Falcon is making an amazing comeback. And one of the places they are coming back to is the city.

Since humans were responsible for the Peregrine's decline, humans took responsibility for their resurgence. Captive breeding programs were started and achieved success. However, when it came time to release the fledglings, there was another problem. Natural habitats for falcons are mountain ranges, river valleys and coastlines. But the falcon's natural enemies, foxes, owls, and raccoons, also inhabit these areas. Where would the fledglings have the high, cliff-like habitat they preferred, but without the threat of predation? Cities became the answer. Falcons could perch and nest on skyscrapers and cathedrals. And since a peregrine's preferred food is medium-sized birds it can catch on the wing, the hope that they would become a natural deterrent to the overwhelming pigeon population was a bonus. Currently, successful nesting pairs of Peregrine Falcons can be found in cities across the United States, Canada and Europe. Wild falcons are also enjoying the abundance of an urban habitat, and in 1999 the Peregrine Falcon was officially removed from the Endangered Species list. The Peregrine's population has continued to grow and among city dwellers, it has become a mark of distinction to live, work or worship in a building that is graced by the presence of a Falcon.

Photo courtesy of Philip MacKenzie

Calvin Coolidge's Many Presidential Pets

President Calvin Coolidge once said “Any man who does not like dogs and want them about, does not deserve to be in the White House.” This probably went for other animals as well, for Coolidge and his family acquired even more pets than the Roosevelts.

During Coolidge's two terms in office, the White House almost literally became a zoo. Exotic animals such as lion cubs, bears, an antelope, wallaby, bobcat and a pygmy hippo were all part of the menagerie. And, of course, there were more typical pets, over 12 dogs, 4 cats and at least 3 canaries.The Coolidges owned a beloved donkey named Ebeneezer, and commandeered one of the White House trees to build a special house for their 2 raccoons—Rebecca and Horace.

Rebecca was quite lively and enjoyed playing in the First Lady's bathtub with "a little water in it and a cake of soap." Another one of Rebecca's favorite games was climbing up the President and draping herself about his neck. The picture below shows First Lady, Grace Coolidge, out at the Easter Egg Roll with Rebecca.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Masket Bandit

Over the next few days I plan to share about the raccoon family, starting with the familiar Raccoon. My first up close and personal view of a raccoon was the one my 9th grade biology teacher had. He introduced the raccoon to us by showing us the muddy paw prints left on his white shirt. Of course, then we were dying to see the raccoon in person and the teacher obliged.

Did you know raccoons are also called Northern Raccoon, Common Raccoon, Washer Bear or Coon? The farther north they live in North America the larger they tend to be. Raccoons in Southern Florida are the smallest.