/ˈtaɪ.ɹə/
OriginBorrowed, via Spanish tayra or Portuguese taira, from Old Tupi eîrara. (Compare Portuguese irara, Spanish irará, eirá, connected to Paraguayan Guarani eíra (“honey”), a food the animal is fond of, whence also Portuguese papa-mel, another vernacular name.)
- A South American omnivore, Eira barbara, allied to the grison, with a long thick tail.
“Cope considered it partly arboreal, as tayras are, and possibly omnivorous as well as herbivorous, yet he thought he saw how it could have evolved into hulking Coryphodon in a relatively short time.”
“A few tayras are known to live in areas of tall grass.
Tayras forage for food on the ground and also in the trees, where their long tail helps them to balance as they move through the branches.”
“Tayras can be tamed and make interesting but fairly destructive pets.”
Formstayras(plural) · taira(alternative)