in the middle and upper levels of the canopy. Throughout their broad range this species is found to inhabit a wide variety of different forest ecosystems. In Mexico, the cacomistle tends to avoid oak forests, secondary forest, and overgrown pastures, but in Costa Rica, the cacomistle has been shown to favor those exact habitats. Diet Cacomistles are considered generalist feeders, because they can survive on a wide variety of different foods. The diet of this species consists primarily of fruits, insects, small vertebrates such as reptiles, amphibians, and rodents, the specificity of these food options depends on what is available in the particular habitat in which an individual dwells. The bromeliad is an excellent reservoir for food in the southern edge of the cacomistle's range, as these plants naturally collect water, insects and small animals found high in the canopy. Reproduction Mating season is the only time cacomistles interact with each other, and it is only briefly as the female is only receptive to male approaches for one day. After mating, the female cacomistle undergoes a gestation period of approximately two months before giving birth to a single offspring. When the cub is three months old it is weaned, and then taught hunting and survival skills by its mother before going off to develop its own territory. References External links Further Cacomistle information Procyonidae Carnivorans of Central America Carnivorans of North America Mammals of Mexico Least concern biota of North America Mammals described in 1860