Kinkajous (Potos flavus) are nocturnal mammals that are native to the lowland rainforests of Central and South America. A Kinkajou has a look of its own. Something you might imagine if you crossed a bear cub with a weasel and a monkey with its long tail, with the curiosity of a raccoon. They have honey colored fur, large round eyes and a prehensile tail. Even though they have prehensile tails which allows them to hang from branches and hold on to things, just like a monkey does, Kinkajous are actually members of the Procyonid family and are related to the raccoons, coatimundis, ringtailed cats, cacomistles, olingos, red pandas and panda bears. The tail can be almost as long as the body (up to 45 cm), and is also used for balance when moving from one tree limb to another. They have 5 digits on each hand and can hold onto things just like a person does. Our kinkajous each weigh about 4 pounds, however, the larger varieties of Kinkajous can reach a weight up to 8 pounds. Their lifespan is 20 to 24 years.

Kinkajous have an excellent sense of touch and smell, however their vision is poor. They can't see color or sense differences in color, which makes their vision less useful for spotting predators, so Kinkajous rely primarily on their highly developed senses of touch and smell. Kinkajous communicate with each other by scent-marking around their home range and travel routes. Scent glands are located in bare areas on either side of the face, at the corner of the mouth, on the throat, and on the abdomen. They also have a wide range of signal calls, from soft chitters to barks and shrill quavering screams.

Being nocturnal, our Kinkajous wake up about 9:00 pm and are pretty active during the night and sleep during the day. In the wild, they would sleep in tree hollows or in shaded tangles of leaves, and avoid direct sunlight. Being arboreal (tree dwelling), Kinkajous live in the canopies of the rainforest jungle, and seldom, if ever, come down to the jungle floor. Like their cousins the ringtails, Kinkajous can turn their hind feet backwards, so that the clawed toes can be used when descending head-first. Like their cousins the raccoons, Kinkajous' front paws are very sensitive and the palms are bare-skinned. They often dip their front paws in water or small openings and then lick the food or juice off their paws much like raccoons do.

Even though Kinkajous have 36 sharp teeth and are considered carnivores, they are primarily frugivorous (fruit-eaters), subsisting predominantly on fruit. Their Basic Diet consists of bananas, papayas, grapes, mangoes, melons, sweet potatoes, eggs, apples, pears, plums, nectarines, peaches, berries, and dry monkey chow. They are given treats of honey, Fig Newtons, Fruit Loops, and marshmallows.