Hello All:

I don't frequently post here, but as I live in Costa Rica and do know
something about Tayras, I may as well share it.

Tayras are very much like domestic ferrets in terms of their
temperaments. This is despite them being "wild animals." As they are
not generally pets and unlike domestic ferrets are very skilled at
living on their own in the jungle, they are of course under "normal"
circumstances a much more predatory. Unlike the domestic ferret, they
tend to not live in groups, but it is not strange for them to form
groups of as many as four animals.

Until domestic cats were introduced, many indigenous groups throughout
the Americas frequently kept Tayras as pets because they were good
at hunting rodents. The Tayra, especially one taken as a baby is
comparatively easy to domesticate, especially if it has easy access to
the outside. In this way they are more like "outside cats."  Although
it does still happen at times, Tayras are not anymore frequently kept
as pets. To begin with, Tayras when kept as pets are of course not
neutered, so they have a VERY strong smell which most people today
find disagreeable, especially in our modern closed in homes etc ...

Although the Tayra prefers a diet of small mammals, they are
omnivorous.

Would I recommend a Tayra as a pet? NO! Unless you live in the jungle
in a more or less open space, this would NOT be a good pet.

Cheers,

Jay

[Posted in FML 7104]