Chiriqui Olingo
Bassaricyon gabbii
- Class
- Mammal
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 82
- Most observed in
- 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The northern olingo (Bassaricyon gabbii), also known as the bushy-tailed olingo or, simply, the olingo (due to it being the most common of the species), is an arboreal (tree-dwelling) member of the raccoon family, Procyonidae, which also includes the coatimundis and kinkajou. Native to Central America, it was the first species of olingo to be scientifically described; while it is considered by some authors to be the only "true" olingo species, a review of the genus Bassaricyon had shown there to be a total of four species, two of those now being considered synonymous with the northern olingo. Its specific name honors William More Gabb (1839-1878), who found and collected the first specimen for western science.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Northern olingo”.