Tayras are typically diurnal, which means are active during the day and rest at night, just like us!
Despite being out and about in broad daylight, they’re not particularly social.
Most will live solitary lives, opting to meet other tayras only when it’s time to mate.
In the rare times that small groups of tayras were observed, researchers found that they communicated with a mix of yowls, snarls, and clicks.
Baby tayras, known as kits ,are typically born in litters of two or three.
For the first 1 to 2 months of their lives, their eyes and ears remain closed, making them completely blind and deaf.
They’ll spend roughly 6 to 10 months under the care of their moms.
During this time, they’ll learn how to hunt and hide before venturing off to claim their own territory.
Their territories can be quite vast for such small creatures.
It’s estimated that a tayra will travel at least 6 km every day and patrol a range of around 24 square kilometres.
While tayras aren’t particularly well known in other parts of the world, and finding them in zoos can be tricky, they’re currently listed as a Least Concern animal due to their thriving populations.
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