Olinguito
Bassaricyon neblina
- Class
- Mammal
- Rarity
- Rare
- Observations
- 84
- Most observed in
- 🇪🇨 Ecuador
- Conservation
- Near Threatened
Description
The olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina) is a mammal of the raccoon family Procyonidae that lives in montane forests in the Andes of western Colombia and Ecuador. It was classified as belonging to a new species in 2013. The specific name neblina is Spanish for fog or mist, referring to the cloud forest habitat of the olinguito. On 22 May 2014, the International Institute for Species Exploration declared the olinguito as one of the "Top 10 New Species of 2014" among species discovered in 2013. It is the first new carnivoran mammal described in the Western Hemisphere in 35 years.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Olinguito”.