Paradise Kinkajou Species in Yonderverse | World Anvil

Paradise Kinkajou

Paradise kinkajous are a species of kinkajou from Zechichi, a planet from the Selvos Cluster. These animals are endangered, suffering from extreme habitat loss.

Anatomy

Paradise kinkajous have small round heads, small eyes despite large eye sockets, flat snouts, short limbs and a long prehensile tail. Their entire fur colouration is a light teal blue, however there is a small variation in fur colour depending on the location of these animals, influenced by genetics.

Males are slightly bigger than females, reaching an average of 165 centimetres in length, including their tails which take up approximately a third of their entire length. Females typically reach about 150 centimetres in length, however the longest ever recorded paradise kinkajou was a female at 235 centimetres in length. They have long purple tongues that can reach twenty centimetres in length, as well as golden eyes.

Diet

Like most other kinkajous, paradise kinkajous are primarily frugivores. They have an aversion to yellow fruits, as their eyesight exaggerates their colour, making them appear toxic even if they are not. 95% of their diet consists of ripe turd figs, named after the smell they produce.

The minority of their diet consists of live prey, typically insects. They use their long tongues, lined with miniscule barbs, to rip out larva from the insides of tree cavities and cracks, which are quickly mashed up by their rows of canines and molars.

Habitat

This species of kinkajou inhabits a wide range, however are scarce. Due to the loss of habitat, their overall territory has decreased by a third in the last 20 years. They are an entirely arboreal species, a trait not shared with any close relatives beside olingos, considered the same species by some.

Behaviour

An arboreal species, paradise kinkajous have remarkable manipulatory abilities, rivalling some primitive sophonts. They have opposable thumbs and a prehensile tail, already beating out some sophont species. They are a nocturnal species, waking at dusk and going back to sleep at dawn, waking every few hours.

They always live in pairs, never leaving each other's sides until the day they both mysteriously die together. One may die of a disease and the other one will mysteriously die at the same time. Some theorise it is a magical connection between the two, but they have not been studied enough to reach a proper conclusion.

Decline

Due to the recent industrial boom on Zechichi, the demand for tropical wood has increased tenfold. The desire for various oils made from said trees, the wood itself, space for farmlands and urban areas, means more and more of the rainforests are being chopped down daily. The kinkajous cannot cope and they are forced into smaller and smaller territories. This is slowly causing the decline in kinkajous, as they can't cope with living so close to conspecifics, where they are now at the point where they have to fight for resources; both food and mates are in high demand for these animals.

Paradise Kinkajou by Mochi
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Scientific Name
Potos eden
Lifespan
25 years
Conservation Status
Endangered
Average Length
150 - 165 centimetres
Geographic Distribution

Related Articles

Potosilae
Fauna | Aug 18, 2023
Zechichi
Planet | Mar 26, 2024

A planet in the Selvos Cluster. The planet is suffering from severe climate change and global warming after the native people went through their industrial revolution.


Comments

Please Login in order to comment!
Aug 12, 2023 18:16

Awww they're bonded for life that's cute but also kinda morbid about the whole dying together thing. Maybe they love each other so much that when one dies the other dies of heartbreak.

DetectiveAmandaCC
Aug 12, 2023 19:19 by Mochi

It's very sad D: maybe that is what happens, but we'll never know.... *spooky noises*

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.
Aug 12, 2023 18:20 by Melissa

So romantic and sad. Many animals in the wild mate for life. It's always tragic when their partner dies. This is a unique way of expressing the concept of life's fragile beauty by having both members of a pair of kinkajous pass away together. The sadness is amped up even further because they are dying out due to the encroachment of their habitat.

Aug 12, 2023 19:24 by Mochi

I work with animals, and I've learnt first-hand how powerful bonds animals can form with each other, and how difficult it is for one partner to continue after the other passes. It's sad, but it makes animals all the more breathtaking, and I wanted to show that in this species <3

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.
Aug 14, 2023 02:26 by Molly Marjorie

Poor kinkajous :( I hate that they are fighting for space.   I'd like to know more about the coloration differences, especially as it's apparently due to both genetics and location? Was there a genetic mutation specific to a particular area?

Check out Natural Magic : a coming of age fantasy novel, because life is hard enough when you're fourteen, even without saving the world. Or listen to it in podcast form .
Aug 14, 2023 08:09 by Mochi

That'd be an interesting thing to expand upon! Thank you for liking and leaving a comment! I will be adding extra information asap :D

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.
Aug 21, 2023 19:43 by Deleyna Marr

I have a race that bonds for life. Makes for complicated child-raising situations!

Deleyna
Aug 21, 2023 20:13 by Mochi

A lot of my species are life partners, simply because I love when love prevails xD i'd imagine it would make things complicated for a whole race though!

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.
Aug 26, 2023 11:40 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Poor kinkajous, losing their habitat like that. :(   'They use their long tongues, lined with miniscule barbs, to rip out larva from the insides of tree cavities and cracks, which are quickly mashed up by their rows of canines and molars.' nyam nyam nyam

Emy x   Etrea | Vazdimet
Powered by World Anvil