Tayra
Eira barbara
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnívors)
- FamilyMustelidae (Mustelids)
- GenusEira (Tayras)
- SpeciesEira barbara (Tayra)
The tayra (Eira barbara) is an omnivorous animal from the mustelid family, native to the Americas. It is the only species in the genus Eira. Tayras are also known as the tolomuco or perico ligero in Central America, motete in Honduras, irara in Brazil, san hol or viejo de monte in the Yucatan Peninsula, and high-woods dog (or historically chien bois) in Trinidad. The genus name Eira is derived from the indigenous name of the animal in Bolivia and Peru, while barbara means "strange" or "foreign". Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Iguazú National Park
Neotropical Otter
Lontra longicaudis
Lesser Grison
Galictis cuja
South American Coati
Nasua nasua
Jaguar
Panthera onca
Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis
Mountain Lion
Puma concolor
Crab-eating Fox
Cerdocyon thous
Jaguarundi
Puma yagouaroundi
Crab-eating Raccoon
Procyon cancrivorus
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Tayra at Iguazú National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there