Favorite Animal

My Favorite Animal at the Bronx Zoo

Kinkajou

The Kinkajou is my favorite animal at the Bronx Zoo. Before being in Bridging the Gap, I must admit that I didn't even know what a Kinkajou was. The scientific name of a Kinkajou is Potos flavus and it is a mammal. The name Potos flavus translated from Latin means the ''Golden Drinker." The name makes sense because they have thick golden fur and have a sweet tooth for honey.  Many assume that Kinkajous are members of the primate family because of traits and features they share that are similar, but the Kinkajou is actually a relative of the Raccoon and the Opossum. 

Kinkajous are omnivores which means that they eat both plants and other animals.  Kinkajous are more commonly  known as the Honey Bear. They are known for using their long tongue to remove honey from beehives and nectar from flowers and fruits. They love to munch on eggs they steal from other animals

 and also eat small rodents like mice and moles.  

Kinkajous are most commonly found in Central and South America in tropical forests. During the day, they are high up in the trees sleeping, and at night they come down from the tree tops to hunt for food. In Central and South America, they are known to screech and yell very loudly. Kinkajous are solitary animals, but it is common to see them playing, grooming, and sometimes even cuddling up to sleep. Aside from having very long tongues, Kinkajous also have long tails that they use as a fifth limb to help them balance, to hold on to branches and more. The tail itself can be almost as long as them; on average anywhere from 19-22 ins long!

Kinkajous are my favorite animal because I find them to be so cute with their big black eyes and wet noses. My teacher at Bridging the Gap actually brought one into our session once and we got to touch it. They have soft, fuzzy hair and are so adorable.  Even though I consider them adorable, I understand that they are wild animals and not pets, but I am welcome to comes see them whenever I please at the Central Park Zoo .

~Sheyna Dominguez