Christine Perry, age 9, of Denton, Texas, for her question:

HOW LARGE CAN A TAYRA GROW?

A tayra is a large member of the weasel family. It lives in tropical forests from Mexico to Argentina. An adult tayra usually weighs about 10 pounds and measures about three and a half feet long, including a tail that is about 16 inches long.

Most tayras have dark brown or black fur, with a white or yellow patch on the chest. The fur on the head gradually turns brown or gray as the animal grows older.

Tayras wander through the forests and are active both day and night. They travel alone or in family groups. These graceful animals climb well and can run swiftly.

Tayras eat birds, small mammals and fruits.

The female tayra gives birth to two to four young in a nest she has built in a tree or on the ground.