Kinkajou Essay

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Kinkajou You are taking an evening walk through a forest in southern Mexico and you spot something in the trees. Is it a bird? Is it a lemur? No, it’s a kinkajou! You see it leaping thorough the branches of the canopy above you. The kinkajous body is less than 24 inches long, while their tail adds another 16-22 inches. Their fur is thick and it comes in two colors which are either reddish brown or yellowish brown. The kinkajou’s tail has a black tip at the end of it. Their tails play an important part in their lifestyle because it helps them hang upside down and get a good grasp on things. The kinkajou can climb up their own tail like a rope. Their 2 big eyes help them see throughout the night because they are nocturnal animals. Kinkajous have sharp claws on their hands and feet. Their feet are very flexible when they have to jump or quickly run away from their predators. Kinkajous live in forest areas in southern Mexico, Central America, and South America. Forests are a good environment for the kinkajous because they rarely leave the trees. Another reason that forests are a good environment for them is because kinkajous can find their food and needs easily. The kinkajou’s diet consists mainly of fruits. Their main fruit that they eat are figs, but they do eat other foods such as flowers, leaves, and some herbs depending on the season. Kinkajous …show more content…

During the night, when they are awake, their daily lifestyle includes search for food and protecting their home. One interesting fact about the kinkajous is that their scientific name is Potus Flavus which means “golden drinker” because they drink nectar. Kinkajou’s eat flowers, but stick their tongue in the flowers to get all the nectar. Another interesting fact about kinkajous are that they can turn their feet backwards to walk up a tree or run away from a predator. They can run backwards just by turning their feet

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