kinkajou

[Rick Mc Callister]

	There is a tremendous variety of folk-names for local flora, fauna
and food in Latin American Spanish.
	My wife says she's heard <<mico de noche>> in Costa Rica, literally
"night monkey".
	I've seen references to <<micoleón>> "monkey lion" in Central
American literature

	Re the others
	Marta, of course, is a pine marten or sable
	Guatuza in Costa Rica is an agouti --a large rodent that looks like
a muskrat with golden fur and was called "beef" when I went in Tikal. I
think it's it's a squirrel in some other places in Central America
	In various places, Cuchicuchi is a slang word that means something
like "hanky-panky", "buddy-buddy", "snuggling up", "acting repentent when
scolded", "sucking up", etc.

>>         So what is the kinkajou in Spanish?

>For Potos flavus, quick Spanish-language Web search returns several common
>names in Spanish:

>martilla
>cercoleto
>martucha
>cuchicuchi
>kinkajou
>kinkajú
>kinkayu
>perro de monte
>mico de noche
>marta
>guatuza
>cusumbo
>tutamono
>leoncito
>shosna
>chosna
>micoleón

>I suppose these are used respectively in different countries? It's possible
>some are erroneous.

>-- Doug Wilson

Rick Mc Callister
W-1634
Mississippi University for Women
Columbus MS 39701