Camera traps bring you closer to the secretive natural world and are an important conservation tool to study wildlife. This week we’re meeting the kinkajou.

Kinkajous are called “honey bears,” “night apes” and “nightwalkers,” but they are neither primates nor bears. Kinkajous are a tropical rainforest mammal closely related to raccoons, olingos and coatis. They live in the forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Bolivia. Kinkajous are rarely seen by people due to their nocturnal habits. They sleep during the day in tree hollows in family units and search for food at night. Although they are classified as carnivores and have sharp teeth, their diet consists mainly of fruit, particularly figs and so, they may play an important role in seed dispersal. Watch the video to learn more about them!

Special thanks to Osa Conservation for sharing their footage with us. The videos were obtained during an arboreal camera trap study looking at habitat connectivity and arboreal wildlife use in Costa Rica.

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Banner image: Kinkajou at a rescue center in Peru. Photo by Rhett A. Butler

Romi Castagnino is Mongabay’s bilingual writer. Find her on Twitter and Instagram: @romi_castagnino

Review questions for educators

These questions can help provide a framework for exploring topics presented in this story.

• What other animals are kinkajous related to?
• Name one physical adaptation that helps them climb down trees and explain how it helps.
• Name one physical adaptation that helps them eat and explain how it helps.