Tayra Male Skull Replica

The tayra lives across most of Southern America east of the Andes. Its range Central America, Trinidad, and southern Mexico. They generally favor tropical and subtropical forests. They also cross grasslands at night and enter cultivated plantations and croplands.

Tayra’s are long, slender animals with an appearance like weasels and martens. They are also known as the tolomuco or perico ligero. They range from 22 to 28 inches in length, not including a 15 to 18 inch long bushy tail. They weigh 6.0 to 15 pounds. Males grow larger than females and slightly more muscular.

The tayra have short, dark brown or black fur. The coat remains uniform across the body, limbs, and tail. A yellow or orange spot marks the chest. The fur on the head and neck is much paler.

Tayras are solitary diurnal animals, although occasionally active during the evening or at night. They are expert climbers, using their long tails for balance. On the ground or large horizontal tree limbs, they use a bounding gallop when moving at high speeds. They can also leap from treetop to treetop when pursed. They generally avoid water but can swim across rivers when necessary.

Tayras operate as opportunistic omnivores. They hunt rodents and other small animals, as well as birds, and invertebrates. They also climb trees to get fruit and honey.

The female tayra gives birth to two babies per litter. Sometimes a single litter has only one pup or up to three pups.

Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Carnivora
• Family: Mustelidae
• Genus: Eira
• Species: E. barbara
• Binomial name: Eira barbara
• Conservation status: Least concern

The fisher male skull replica, the American mink skull replica, and the Kikajou skull replica along side the tayra male skull creates a breathtaking showcase of forest hunters.