noun
A large, agile tree-dwelling animal of the weasel family, with a short dark coat, native to Central and South America.
Eira barbara, family Mustelidae
‘When Foster lost his funding, he left Matola with custody of two jaguars, a puma, an anteater, a tayra, three coatimundis, five curassows, and a cage of parrots.’- ‘Although usually silent, the tayra has been known to give yowls, snarls, or clicks when in groups.’
- ‘The tayra occasionally eats poultry and raids corn and sugar fields, but damage is usually minimal.’
- ‘I report here an observation of attempted predation by a tayra in the western Amazon, in Acre, Brazil.’
- ‘One of the most common and widespread carnivores, tayras can live in disturbed habitats near man.’
Origin
Mid 19th century from Tupi taira.
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