OLINGO!
by J.E. Rogers
I once
had my picture taken with a kinkajou. Here’s that picture.
They’re
really cute, and the little guy in this picture was enjoying all the attention
he was getting. Why do I bring up the Kinkajou when the star of this week’s
post is the Olingo? Well, it’s because the two look so much alike that the
Olingo is commonly mistaken for a Kinkajou. They both are similar in appearance
and behavior, and both of them are also members of the raccoon family. One
striking difference is that the Kinkajou has a prehensile tail while the Olingo
does not.
The
Kinkajou is adorable, but we’re leaving him behind to focus on this week’s
guest, the Olingo.
Photo credit:
Mashpilodge.wordpress.com
The
Olingo is a resident of the Andean Cloud Forest. A cloud forest is not a rain
forest. The major differences between a cloud forest and a rain forest are that
a cloud forest is continually in a fog and it is at a higher elevation than a
rain forest. As a result, a cloud forest is much cooler than a rain forest.
Photo credit: factzoo.com
The
Olingo is a solitary, arboreal creature that lives in the cloud forests of
Central and South America. It is not an endangered species. They are nocturnal
creatures with small rounded ears and large eyes which help them navigate the
forest at night. Although Olingos are considered carnivores, they will eat fruit.
Their usual diet is insects, small vertebrates, and invertebrates. They grow to
approximately sixteen inches in length, and their tail accounts for another
nineteen inches. Generally speaking, they weigh about three pounds. Their light
weight affords them agility through the trees. They also have a ‘stink gland’
much like that of a skunk which they will use to ward off predators.
Photo credit: Patrick C. Young
arkive.org
There is
a newly described species of Olingo called the Olinguito. It was discovered in
2013. This is a phenomenal discovery since discovering a new mammal at this
point in time is highly unusual. And although it has just recently been
discovered, the Olinguito is believed to be the oldest member of the species in
evolutionary terms.
Olinguito
Photo credit: Mark
Gurney/National Museum of Natural History
The
following video is super. It will explain a bit about the different species in
the raccoon family from the raccoon itself down to the newly discovered
Olinguito. Don’t miss it.
If you
would like to learn more about the Olingo, visit the following sites:
Thanks
for stopping by and visiting. I hope you’ll be by again.
Enjoy!
Jeanne E.
Rogers, Award Winning Author
The Sword of
Demelza, The Gift of Sunderland
and
One Hot Mess, A
Child’s Environmental Fable
Where Endangered
Animal Heroes Roam the Pages!
My newest book, Kohana, A Native American Creation Myth,
will be published by Fahrenheit Books in early August.
Visit the following to learn more:
http://www.fahrenheitbooks.com
and,
http://kohanawolf.com
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