Kinkajou

The kinkajou, a vertebrate animal that primarily resides in rainforests, is threatened by the effects of climate change. Gradually, rising temperatures and more deforestation will not only alter the availability of the kinkajou’s habitat, but also jeopardize biodiversity and weather patterns of the area, forcing the animal to change either its behavior, its characteristics, or even both. The kinkajou has certain physical attributes that allow it to be best suited for living in the rainforest. Specifically, the kinkajou possesses a long and robust tail that it often uses to hang upside down from trees, as well as teeth that are specifically adapted to rip apart its food, sharp claws that allow them to climb the rainforest trees, and thick fur to keep them dry. These statistics of the kinkajou help us conclude that as climate change continues to threaten their existence, the kinkajou will develop new traits to survive.