The Kinkajou
Meet the Kinkajou: Costa Rica’s golden honey bear
The kinkajou is one of Costa Rica’s most endearing and mysterious mammals. With big eyes, golden fur, and a long tail that curls like a vine, it looks like something out of a storybook. Known locally as the martilla and affectionately called the “honey bear,” this playful nocturnal creature is often seen gliding through fruiting trees on guided night tours.
Unlike monkeys or sloths, the kinkajou is rarely seen during the day. As the sun sets and the forest comes alive, these little acrobats emerge to feed, play, and explore. Seeing one under the glow of a headlamp is an unforgettable experience that shows just how magical Costa Rica’s nights can be.
Key Facts
Size: 40 to 60 cm (16 to 24 inches) in body length, with a tail of 40 to 60 cm (16 to 24 inches)
Weight: 1.5 to 4.5 kg (3 to 10 pounds)
Lifespan: 20 to 25 years in the wild, up to 30 in captivity
Diet: Fruit, nectar, insects, and occasionally small vertebrates
Activity: Strictly nocturnal and arboreal
Cool Facts About Kinkajous
Kinkajous are sometimes mistaken for monkeys, but they’re actually part of the raccoon family. Their long, flexible tails are prehensile, meaning they can use them to grasp branches and even hang upside down. This gives them incredible balance and agility while moving through the canopy.
Their tongues can reach up to 13 cm long and are covered in sticky saliva, perfect for licking nectar from flowers and raiding beehives for honey. This sweet tooth is how they earned the name “honey bear.”
Kinkajous are playful and social animals. While they spend most of their time alone, they occasionally gather to feed in fruiting trees, where you can hear soft squeaks and chatters echoing through the night. Their large eyes are adapted for excellent night vision, and their quiet, graceful movements make them one of the most captivating animals to watch after dark.
They also play an important role in pollination. As they drink nectar and move from flower to flower, they help fertilize plants and spread seeds, making them essential gardeners of the forest canopy.
Habitat and Behavior
Kinkajous live in Costa Rica’s rainforests, cloud forests, and even secondary growth forests where fruit trees are plentiful. They spend nearly all their time in the trees and rarely touch the ground.
During the night, they move quickly through the canopy searching for fruit and nectar, often returning to favorite trees year after year. During the day, they curl up to sleep inside tree hollows or dense vines, hidden from the tropical heat and potential predators.
Because of their nocturnal nature, they’re one of the top highlights of guided night hikes, where you can often see their golden fur and reflective eyes shining in the beam of a flashlight.
Where to See Kinkajous in Costa Rica
Kinkajous are found all across the country, and several excellent tours give you the chance to see them in their natural environment.
Cahuita National Park, where they can sometimes be spotted gliding between trees in the lowland rainforest after dark
Drake Bay Rainforest Night Tour, one of the most rewarding ways to experience nocturnal life in the Osa Peninsula
Monteverde Night Walk, where kinkajous are often spotted moving quietly among the fruiting trees near the reserve’s edge
Guided tours make it easy to learn more about their habits and increase your chances of seeing them in the wild. If we do not provide the tour ourselves, you will see we have included links to other tour operators that offer sightings. We have personally been on these tours ourselves and enjoyed them! :)
