272 



THE BEASTS OF PREY 



At present we know that the Kinkajou is widely 

 spread. It is indigenous to the whole of northern 

 Brazil, Peru and to the north as far as Mexico, or 

 even southern Louisiana and Florida. It lives in 

 virgin forests, on trees, and delights in the proximity 

 of great rivers. Its habits are completely nocturnal; 

 it spends the day sleeping in hollow trees, but at 

 night it displays great activity, climbing with remark- 

 able adroitness about the high tree-tops in search of 

 food. Its prehensile tail is extremely useful in this 

 connection. It is inferior to hardly any Monkey in 

 climbing ability. All its movements are marked 

 by great agility and security. It can hold fast to 

 branches with its hind legs or tail and grasp a tree- 

 so firmly that it is able to climb down head first. 

 Its mode of progression is plantigrade. 



Traits of the All those who have so far observed 

 Kinkajou the Kinkajou agree in that it is 

 Described. gentle and good-natured in its re- 

 lations to Man, and soon becomes as familiar and 

 kind as a Dog, likes to be petted, recognizes its 

 owner's voice and seeks his company. By actions 

 it invites its keeper to play with it, or to speak to it, 

 and these friendly traits make it one of the most 

 popular domestic pets of the natives in South Amer- 

 ica. In captivity, as well as in its wild state, it 

 sleeps during most of the day. It then covers its 

 body, especially the head, with its tail. It eats any- 

 thing which is given it: bread, meat, fruit, boiled 

 potatoes, vegetables, sugar or preserves; drinks milk, 

 coffee, water, and, if permitted, wine or even brandy 

 until it is intoxicated, which makes it sick for 

 several days. Occasionally it also attacks poultry, 

 kills it, sucks the blood and leaves the rest. Kap- 

 pler, who observed the Kinkajou in Guiana, says: 

 " It lives only on fruit and becomes extremely tame. 

 I received a young one from Indians, and gave him 

 complete liberty. Nobody knew where he spent the 

 day, but as soon as we sat down to the table in the 

 evening, "Wawa," as we called the creature, arrived 

 and amused us by his funny, caressing actions, one 

 of which consisted in his trying to insinuate his long, 

 slender tongue into my mouth, ears and nose. He 

 ate ripe bananas and other fruit. When the house 



was closed at night, Wawa was put out, and he then 

 mounted the bread-trees, cocoanut palms or Avogato 

 trees, for he did not like to stay on the ground. I 

 kept him over a year, until he suddenly died." 



The Cacomixle A small Beast of Prey, which for- 

 a Small but merly w'as placed among the Civets, 



Lively Species, according to recent research belongs 

 to the American Small Bears. We mean the Civet, 

 or as Hernandez called it as early as 165 1, the 

 Mexican Cacomixle (Bassaris astutci). An adult 

 male attains a length of about thirty-eight inches, 

 two-fifths of which go to the tail. In shape, the 

 animal reminds one of a small Fox; in coloring, of a 

 Coati. 



The Cacomixle inhabits Mexico, Texas [and Cali- 

 fornia, and it has been found as far north as Oregon.] 

 In Mexico it takes up its abode in rocks and de- 

 serted buildings, but in Texas is found principally 

 in hollow trees. In Mexico it is frequently found 

 in the very capital, and Charlesworth even supposed 

 that it never made its habitation far from human 

 dwellings, as the poultry yards furnished it such 

 favorable hunting grounds. 



The Cacomixle is a lively, playful and active 

 creature, frequently recalling to mind a Squirrel by 

 its movements and attitudes, and the Mexicans call 

 it "Squirrel-Cat" for this reason. If disturbed in its 

 den, it assumes the same graceful attitudes as the 

 Squirrel and lays its tail upon its back. It is an 

 excellent climber, but can not leap from branch to 

 branch with the agility and security of the Squirrel. 

 When frightened it runs along one branch and tries 

 to reach another from its twigs. Occasionally one 

 may see it lying on some bough basking in the sun. 

 It then lies motionless, half curled up and appar- 

 ently sleeping; yet at the slightest signal of danger 

 it slips into its hole with all possible speed and re- 

 appears only after sunset. 



In spite of the slyness and timidity of the Caco- 

 mixle, it may become moderately tame, and after it 

 has been kept in a cage for some time, it may be 

 allowed to run about the house at will. It is fre- 

 quently kept as a pet in Mexico, and makes itself 

 useful as a muuser. 



