The tayra (Eira barbara) is a
member of the weasel family
(Mustelidae), which also includes
otters, skunks and minks. It is the only
species in the genus Eira. The tayra,
also spelled “tiara”, is sometimes
called “swamp or bush dog” and its
Creole name is Haka. Tayras can be
found in the neo-tropical forests of
Central and South America, and
ranges from Mexico, south to Bolivia
and northern Argentina and also on
the island of Trinidad. In these areas
they live in tropical, deciduous and
evergreen forests, secondary growth,
fields and plantations. The elevation
of their habitat ranges from the lowlands
to about 2000 to 2400 m. 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. Despite their wide occurrence
and relatively large size, surprisingly
little is known about tayra reproduction,
life span, home ranges or habits.
This large, long-legged weasellike
animal is the size of a medium
sized dog, with a long, bushy tail and
long neck ending in a robust head.
Its head and body range from 600 to 700 mm in length and its tail length is 350 to 450 mm. Tayras have large hind feet varying in length from 80 to 90 mm with round, short ears that are about 35 to 40 mm long. Color varies with geographic range, but in general the tayra’s dark skin is covered by dense, short fur that is brown in color with a slightly paler head. The fur on its head changes to brown or gray as it ages. Usually it has a white, diamond shaped patch on its throat and chest. Tayras have long claws, pronounced canines and weigh 4 to 5 kg.
Although classified as carnivores, tayras are omnivorous, with diets comparable to those of raccoons. It shows a preference for small mammals, the spiny rat in particular, but it will eat whatever is available, such as guinea pigs, mice, squirrels, agoutis and poultry. The tayra will also eat significant amounts of fruit, invertebrates and reptiles. It has also been shown that they will occasionally eat honeycomb when it is available.
Being small and secretive, Mustelids, among other groups of small carnivores, are often neglected by conservation programs which are usually aimed at larger, more charismatic species.
Help is needed and you could make a difference by contributing to the conservation of small carnivores, through the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) World Conservation Union Small Carnivore Specialist Group. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Specialist Group or would like more information please visit their website the IUCN website at http://iucn.org
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