Procyonid Spotlight: Kinkajou

Goodbye Australia, and welcome back to South America! So, you may be asking, "What in the world is a procyonid?" That is family name for all the relatives of the raccoon. But we are not here to talk about the raccoon. I want to introduce you to one of its cousins--the kinkajou. [Pronounced kink-ah-joo.]

The kinkajou really does not look anything like a raccoon. It looks something like a monkey crossed with a ferret. They have these big eyes, protruding ears, and a tail that can curl up, yet they are long and slinky like a mustelid. I think they are rather cute.

Their body length can be as long as 24 inches with a tail length that can be just as long as its body. They are very limber and are extremely adapted to living in trees. They have specialized little fingers and toes that can manipulate things which is similar to primates. I also found it interesting that they are able to rotate their ankles by a half-turn. The latter quality makes it easier to run backwards or climb down trees head first. Additionally, the curly tail also assists in the climb as might have been expected.

Kinkajous are omnivorous, but they prefer fruit--mainly figs. Their specialized claws come in handy in this case. They hold the fruit at any angle they need and just push their tongue into it--scooping out all the pulp into their mouths. It is believed that the kinkajou serves a vital role in the distribution of seeds for these fruits--as they are quite the messy eaters.

Kinkajous are very socially oriented. They will section out their territory and help one another with little tasks such as personal grooming. Generally, they prefer to forage for food on their own; however, they can sometimes go out in groups. It really depends on the situation. They find a way to work things out either way.

I do not know of any kinkajous in fiction; however, I do have something of a weird mention of them in the Oz universe. In the Ruth Plumy Thomson book "The Royal Book of Oz," the kinkajou was mentioned in a very peculiar way. This was actually the first Oz book after L. Frank Baum's death, so he really had nothing to do with this. As it turns out, the Scarecrow had taken up swearing in this new book, but since it was a children's book, he had to replace the naughty word with something ridiculous. An example of this new bad habit of his was when he said, "I don't care a Kinkajou for being Emperor,..." It is quite strange that he chose this animal to be his swear word and I really have no idea the reason why Ruth chose it, but there it is. He used the word in a similar manner a few times throughout the book.

Personally, I see the kinkajou as playful within their independent communities. They really seem to get along with one another well. They would be wise in things of nature and agile enough to take care of their own in the wild world. He may be a good guide to have when traversing the forest. That is my take on the animal.

The truth is that I would not have known about this animal unless the Scarecrow had not picked up a bad habit. As soon as I looked them up, I knew that I would one day write about them. I am happy to bring this obscure creature into the spotlight. Enjoy!

Thank you for reading this blog! If you enjoyed it, you can comment below, or you can email me at tooie@tooiekangaroo.com. Eek.