Trivia question for Jun-09-2011

Carter likes the fact that these guys are so fearless so he decided to do his trivia on them.  These guys are more gregarious (Carter’s new word of the day;-) than most of its weasel and marten relatives; regularly found in groups.

They eat mainly fruit, but also carrion, small mammals, reptiles, and birds. They live in hollow trees, burrows in the ground, or nests of tall grass. They travel both alone and in groups during both the day and the night. They are expert climbers, and can leap from treetop to treetop when pursued. They can also run fast and swim well. They will eat most anything, hunting rodents and invertebrates, and climbing trees to get eggs and honey. They are attracted to fruit and can be found raiding orchards.

So here are Carter’s questions:  Tell us what this animal is and where they can be found.  Also, these guys are such efficient hunters that it is often kept by locals to help rid them of what species?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations to Samantha for getting the trivia answered correctly.  The feisty critter we featured is the Tayra. The tayra, also known as the Tolomuco or Perico ligero in Central America, have an appearance similar to weasels and martens, growing to a size of about 60 cm, not including a 45 cm long tail. Most tayras have either dark brown or black fur with a lighter patch on its chest. The fur on its head changes to brown or gray as it ages. Tayras grow to weigh around 5 kilograms (11 pounds), ranging from 2.7 to 7.5 kg (6-16.5 pounds).

Tayras live in the tropical forests of Central America, South America and on the island of Trinidad. They eat mainly fruit, but also carrion, small mammals, reptiles, and birds. They live in hollow trees, burrows in the ground, or nests of tall grass.  Tayras are sometimes kept by locals as efficiant mouse hunters.  Here is more on these guys: Ta