Species MammalsTayra

Tayra

Eira barbara

Very rareMammal
Illustration of Tayra (Eira barbara)

The Tayra is a large, omnivorous mustelid of tropical forests with a long body, short legs, and a distinctive pale head contrasting with its dark body. It is equally at home on the ground and in the trees, pursuing prey from fruit to small deer. Recently, tayras have been documented harvesting unripe plantains and caching them near ripe fruit trees—one of the first documented examples of planning-ahead behavior in a non-primate mustelid.

Habitat
Tropical and subtropical forests of Mexico and Central America
Diet
Fruit, rodents, birds, reptiles, and honey
How common
Very rare

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