Pictures and facts about the Tayra

Pictures of the tayra are copyrighted by their owners

Tayra

Order : Carnivora
Family : Mustelidae
Subfamily : Mustelinae
Species : Eira barbara

The Tayra (Eira barbara) lives in the evergreen forests of America, Central and Southern parts. Tayras have also been known to exist in Trinidad. A Tayra is a long weasel, with a bushy tail, a long neck, with low-hanging and rounded ears. The color differs from one place to another, but in the main, a Tayra has a brown body with lighter-shaded head, and on its chest, a patch is present. They have dark muzzles, long claws that are used when they go on their climbing adventures.

What does a Tayra consume to live: it is omnivorous, they choose smaller mammals (like the rat) but they have been known to eat reptiles, vegetables and fruits.

It produces its litter (2 to 3) after gestating for seventy days, approximately. Newborns would open the eyes when they are 35 to 58 days old, and nursing occurs for 2 to 3 months, again, on the average. Captivity-wise, longevity is up to 18 y ears. They are diurnal, living in family sets. One impressive thing about them is that they are both be terrestrial and arboreal, which helps them escaping from chasing predators.

These weasels had been used by different peoples for rodent-hunting. It has been known that they also feed on sugar fields and poultry, it cannot be said that the y do drastic harm to the economic side of human's life.

Interesting fact: When startled, it would produce a barking noise, then it would rush to the refuge of the nearest tree or tall plant.

Picture of the Tayra, by Dirk van der Made, licensed under GFDL.

Facts about the tayra

Tayras are omnivorous, fruits and small vertebrates being the most important items of diet, based on the analysis of scats in

The tayra is found in the forested areas of southern Mexico, Central America, and the northern half of South America.

Because the tayra is both terrestrial and arboreal, it has been found to live in hollow trees, burrows built by other animals, and occasionally in tall grass (Reid, 1997; Nowak, 1999). (Full text)

Some believe that the estrous cycle of Eira barbara is seasonal, with births occuring in March and July. (Full text)

Tayras are both terrestrial and arboreal; terrestrial locomotion is usually composed of erratic, bouncing movements with the back arched and the tail along the ground. (Full text)

or Eira barbara is listed on the IUCN Red list (1996) as Lower Risk/Least Concern . (Full text)

Tayras are omnivores adept at climbing trees and with strong claws capable of excavating a tamarin den. (Full text)

Tayra is princes of Glacid, an ice cold world. (Full text)

The Name "Tayra": "Tayra" is of unknown origin, but probably a native South American word. (Full text)

Dog The Tayra is about the size of a medium sized dog, with a long bushy tail and long (Full text)

A large member of the weasel family, the tayra (Eira barbara) is also found through a major portion of South America and up through Central America to the middle of Mexico. (Full text)

The tayra is slender with a long neck and short legs. (Full text)

Tayras are omnivorous. (Full text)

back to top Diet The Tayra is omnivorous eating a diet consisting mainly of small mammals, birds, honey, and fruit. (Full text)

Tayras are great climbers and this can been in that they have strong claws on both their front and hind feet. (Full text)

org Tayra SkullThe tayra is the only species belonging to the genus Eira. (Full text)

Tayra Skull - The tayra is the only species belonging to the genus Eira. (Full text)

Tayras are identified by their glossy, dark brown to black upper parts, legs, feet and tail. (Full text)