Pet Kinkajous from Schmeg.com

   

What is a Kinkajou?? Kinkajous are small, nocturnal mammals native to Central & South America. They have the face of a bear cub, the body of an otter, and the tail of a monkey. Be-tt-ey might have been a more appropriate name. Strangely, this little critter from the jungle has gained in popularity to the point that even Paris Hilton was seen shouldering one. So how and why did the Kinkajou end up becoming a trendy new pet?

These are almost entirely arboreal and are mainly fruit eaters, but they may also feed on some birds and small mammals. With an elongate body form and uniformly colored fur, they have the general appearance of a primate. They are fast-moving, extremely agile and active, and travel constantly during the night. Kinkajous are 40 to 60 centimeters (16 to 24 inches) in length and weigh 1.5 to 2.5 kilograms (3 to 5 1/2 pounds). The kinka-jou was originally thought to be a lemur, and the manner in which it uses its feet and its prehensile tail, its arboreal habits, and its fruit diet may still lead observers to associate it with monkeys rather than carnivores. Kinkajous are the only New World carnivore with a prehensile tail.