THE KINKAJOU. 



PLATE XXXIV. 



Class Mammalia. Order Plantigrade carnivora. Genus 

 Cercoleptes. 



THE Kinkajou is one of those animals which the naturalist 

 has rarely an opportunity of observing in captivity ; nor in- 

 deed are there many museums of Europe in which a pre- 

 served specimen is to be found. To these causes are to be 

 attributed the obscurity attending its history, and the contra- 

 dictory opinions which have been entertained respecting its 

 true character and the station it occupies. Desmarest w r as 

 the first who assigned to this animal its true situation among 

 the plantigrade carnivora. Illeger formed for it a genus 

 under the title of cercoleptes, which is that now generally 

 retained. The species (a single one, as far as we know) is 

 the cercoleptes condivolvulus. The Kinkajou is a native of 

 Southern and Intertropical America, where it appears to be 

 extensively spread, and is known under different appellations. 

 In New Grenada it is called, by the native Indians, guchumbi, 

 and manaviri in the mission of Rio Negro. In its manners it 

 much resembles the coati-mondi (nasua fused}, but differs 

 from that animal not only in the shape of the head, which is 

 short and compact, but also in having a prehensile tail. Of 

 recluse and solitary habits, the Kinkajou lives for the most 

 part among the branches of the trees in large woods or forests, 

 and is in every respect well adapted for climbing : being, 

 however, decidedly nocturnal, it is but little exposed to the 

 observation even of those who sojourn among the places fre- 

 quented by it. During the day it sleeps in its retreat, rolled 

 up like a ball, and, if roused, appears torpid and inactive. As 

 soon, however, as the dusk of evening sets in, it is fully awake, 

 and is all activity, displaying the utmost restlessness and ad- 



