The social organization of the kinkajou Potos flavus (Procyonidae)

The social organization of the kinkajou Potos flavus is described from 380 h of observations on habituated, free-ranging animals. Individuals were mos t often alone while feeding at night, yet they regularly interacted in stab le social groups. Four social groups were observed, each consisting of a si ngle adult female, two adult males, one sub-adult and one juvenile. At leas t one breeding female was solitary and did not reside within a group. Socia l groups were consolidated primarily at denning sites and large fruiting tr ees by group feeding, allogrooming and scent marking. However, kinkajous we re most often observed solitarily, as social feeding only occurred in 19.6 of total feeding bouts (mainly among males) and individuals rarely travelle d together. Although the composition of social groups was polyandrous, male s also copulated with non-group females which suggests a promiscuous mating system. Female-biased dispersal and patterns of male association seem to b e patrilineal and based on resource defence. The evolution of social organi zation in the kinkajou is discussed in relation to predation risk, resource availability, and convergence with primates of similar fission-fusion soci oecology.