The kinkajou has the most useful tail of the panda/raccoon family that is up to 27 inches (68 cm) in length. This nocturnal animal (sometimes called a honey bear (it likes sweets)) uses its long tail to hold on to tree branches while its hands remain free to eat berries, mangoes, honey, and small insects.

It comes out from resting at night, but during the daylight hours it finds refuge in a hole inside a tree or a tangle of leaves. The kinkajou may forage and eat from the same trees as the monkeys eat from during the day. It resides in the forests of Central and South America, Brazil, and eastern Mexico where there is enough fruit on the trees for this timeshare with the monkeys to work out.

These arboreal animals are very vocal: grunting, moaning, barking, squeaking and whistling for various reasons. They have been kept as pets but it might not be the best idea because they don’t like to be awake during the day and can occasionally be aggressive.

The female usually gives birth to one, sometimes two babies. At eight weeks the young kinkajous can already hang from their tails, and at four months old they are independent.