Robert Burnett, age 13, of Staten Island, N.Y., for his question:
WHAT I5 A KINKAJOU?
The name kinkajou was borrowed from the Indians of Central America, though nobody seems sure what it means. It belongs to what surely must be one of the world's most attractive small mammals. For a moment, you might mistake him for an extra playful house cat until you notice several uncatty features. Even so, you would hardly suspect that the kinkajou is related to the panda.
Some people call him the honey bear, though most observers agree that a captive kinkajou does not care much for honey. Perhaps he earned this name because his super soft fur coat is a blend of honey colors. His small head and body measure about 12 inches plus a furry 18 inch tail.
He has a wide face with large misty eyes and a pair of big round ears standing out on each side of his head. His back legs are rather short, his front legs are even shorter. His strong, handsome tail is prehensile and without a doubt the kinkajou is one of the most agile acrobats of the entire animal kingdom.
His home is in the jungle treetops of Central and South America. There he uses his hands and feet and his grasping tail to twist and twine his way through the branches. He may hang head down by his tail, with or without the help of one hind foot. In captivity, he may dangle from a person's arm, then climb up his own tail to take a treat.
Obviously those large misty eyes are suited for night vision which is one reason why the kinkajou is seldom seen during the day. This is his time for snoozing, often in a lofty hammock of tangled vines. At night he comes forth to forage for his favorite food which is fruit. Often he hunts alone, but friends and relatives may join him when he finds a fruit loaded tree.
Sometimes he eats an insect and may pause to steal an egg from a bird nest. In captivity, he shows a strong preference for fruits with an occasional peanut butter sandwich A few observers insist that the kinkajou honey bear also loves honey and even fights his owner to get at the supplies.
We know little of his private life in the wild. But kinkajou parents breed in captivity, producing one black furry baby. Junior can hang by his tail after seven weeks, which is three weeks before he opens his eyes. Barring accidents, he may live more than 23 years.