The kinkajou (/ˈkɪŋkədʒuː/ KING-kə-joo; Potos flavus) is a tropical rainforest mammal of the family Procyonidae related to olingos, coatis, raccoons, and the ringtail and cacomistle.

Native to Mexico, Central and South America, this mostly frugivorous mammal is seldom seen by people because of its strict nocturnal habits.

[2][5] A. M. Husson, of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (Leiden), discussed the rather complicated nomenclature of the kinkajou in The Mammals of Suriname (1978).

[5] In his 1774 work Die Säugethiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, Schreber listed three items under the name "Lemur flavus Penn.

": on page 145 is a short translation of Pennant's description of the yellow maucauco (later identified to be Lemur mongoz, presently known as the mongoose lemur) from his 1771 work A Synopsis of Quadrupeds (page 138, second figure on plate 16); on plate 42 is a depiction of the yellow maucauco by Schreber; the last item is a reference to A Synopsis of Quadrupeds itself.

[11] A 2007 phylogenetic study showed that kinkajous form a basal lineage sister to the rest of the Procyonidae.

[14][15][16] Bassaricyon (olingos and olinguito) Nasua and Nasuella (coaties) Procyon (raccoons) Bassariscus (ring-tailed cat and cacomistle) Potos (kinkajou) The kinkajou has a round head, large eyes, a short, pointed snout, short limbs, and a long prehensile tail.

The darker hairs reflect light poorly relative to the lighter ones, often creating an illusion of spots and dark lines on the coat.

[5] The kinkajou is distinguished from other procyonids by its small, rounded ears, extensible tongue, and prehensile tail.

[19] Compared to olingos, kinkajous are larger, have foreshortened muzzles, and lack anal scent glands (in addition to the previously described differences).

The binturong, a Southeast Asian viverrid, has similar limb proportions and is the only other carnivoran with a prehensile tail.

The kinkajou resembles neotropical monkeys in having a prehensile tail and big, forward-facing eyes, but has a different dentition and heavy fur on the soles of the feet.

[1] Although the kinkajou is classified in the order Carnivora and has sharp teeth, its omnivorous diet consists mainly of fruit, particularly figs.

[21] The kinkajou's slender 5-inch extrudable tongue helps the animal to obtain fruit and to lick nectar from flowers, so it sometimes acts as a pollinator.

During daylight hours, kinkajous sleep in tree hollows or in shaded tangles of leaves, avoiding direct sunlight.

Kinkajous breed throughout the year, giving birth to one or occasionally two small babies after a gestation period of 112 to 118 days.

In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that pet kinkajous in the United States can be carriers (fecal–oral route) of the raccoon roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis, which is capable of causing severe morbidity and even death in humans if the brain is infected.

[27] In El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, pet kinkajous are commonly called micoleón, meaning "lion monkey".