Photograph by Mark Gurney, Smithsonian Institution.
Well, discover in the same sense that Columbus discovered America. The "new" mammal, the olinguito, was formerly mistaken for its closest relative, the olingo. Both inhabit the cloud forests of the Andes. The discoverer, Kristofer Helgen, described the animal as a "cross between a teddy bear and a house cat," to which dcist.com editorialized, "(awwww)." The olinguito is related to the raccoon.
13 Comments
https://me.yahoo.com/a/JxVN0eQFqtmgoY7wC1cZM44ET_iAanxHQmLgYgX_Zhn8#57cad · 18 August 2013
Oh you materialists, you think that it had to be there all along, not poofed into existence by gods or aliens on March 2, 2012.
Anyway, I think I'd rather see that raiding my garbage can...
So is this one of the house cat kind or the teddy bear kind?
diogeneslamp0 · 18 August 2013
Both inhabit the cloud forests of the Andes.
Long walk from Mt. Ararat.
Scott F · 18 August 2013
https://me.yahoo.com/a/JxVN0eQFqtmgoY7wC1cZM44ET_iAanxHQmLgYgX_Zhn8#57cad said:
Oh you materialists, you think that it had to be there all along, not poofed into existence by gods or aliens on March 2, 2012.
Anyway, I think I'd rather see that raiding my garbage can...
Glen Davidson
I don't know about that. Those are pretty sharp looking little claws. I wouldn't want to run into that while taking out the garbage.
Pretty cute, in a scruffy sort of way.
https://me.yahoo.com/a/KKoHMzkup9ExeT2nCG4wyQC1t1bVzEY-#3d4be · 18 August 2013
One report I saw stated that specimens of the olinguito were in museum collections, labeled as olingos, and were not recognized as a separate species.
bigdakine · 18 August 2013
diogeneslamp0 said:Both inhabit the cloud forests of the Andes.
Long walk from Mt. Ararat.
Long swim too.
Kevin B · 19 August 2013
Tristan Miller said:
So is this one of the house cat kind or the teddy bear kind?
The post says it's a kind of raccoon, which i always thought was a kind of garbage disposal unit.
harold · 19 August 2013
https://me.yahoo.com/a/KKoHMzkup9ExeT2nCG4wyQC1t1bVzEY-#3d4be said:
One report I saw stated that specimens of the olinguito were in museum collections, labeled as olingos, and were not recognized as a separate species.
Correct.
I strongly predict that creationists are already using this argument...(not expressed as clearly)...
"Science temporarily got the olinguito mixed up with the olinguo, therefore science is always wrong, therefore anything could be true, therefore I might as well arbitrarily 'believe' in some self-serving post-modern pop interpretation of a seventeenth century translation of Genesis. Oh, and by the way, in a couple of seconds I'll switch from nihilism and claim to believe in absolute, unchanging 'truths', thus contradicting my original argument."
I repeat, I strongly predict that creationists are already responding to the olinguito discovery with the argument construction shown above.
Check this out...http://www.ushanka.com/media/products/mink.jpg Note the resemblance to the olinguito...
One of those was in my yard this past weekend...a first for me. It seems West Tennessee is part of their range.
robert van bakel · 22 August 2013
I remember watching Atteborough's 'Life of Mammals' the Carnivores episode. In it a creature, tree happy, ground proficient, and looking remarkably similar to this animal was thought to represent the most likely common ancestor of dogs and cats.
Henry J · 13 September 2013
"What the heck is that, and why is it taking my picture?"
13 Comments
https://me.yahoo.com/a/JxVN0eQFqtmgoY7wC1cZM44ET_iAanxHQmLgYgX_Zhn8#57cad · 18 August 2013
Oh you materialists, you think that it had to be there all along, not poofed into existence by gods or aliens on March 2, 2012.
Anyway, I think I'd rather see that raiding my garbage can...
Glen Davidson
Tristan Miller · 18 August 2013
So is this one of the house cat kind or the teddy bear kind?
diogeneslamp0 · 18 August 2013
Both inhabit the cloud forests of the Andes.
Long walk from Mt. Ararat.
Scott F · 18 August 2013
https://me.yahoo.com/a/KKoHMzkup9ExeT2nCG4wyQC1t1bVzEY-#3d4be · 18 August 2013
One report I saw stated that specimens of the olinguito were in museum collections, labeled as olingos, and were not recognized as a separate species.
bigdakine · 18 August 2013
Kevin B · 19 August 2013
harold · 19 August 2013
Karen S. · 19 August 2013
So where can I get a plush one?
Karen S. · 19 August 2013
The Oatmeal had a funny cartoon about this critter.
Charley Horse · 19 August 2013
Check this out...http://www.ushanka.com/media/products/mink.jpg
Note the resemblance to the olinguito...
One of those was in my yard this past weekend...a first for me. It seems West Tennessee is
part of their range.
robert van bakel · 22 August 2013
I remember watching Atteborough's 'Life of Mammals' the Carnivores episode. In it a creature, tree happy, ground proficient, and looking remarkably similar to this animal was thought to represent the most likely common ancestor of dogs and cats.
Henry J · 13 September 2013
"What the heck is that, and why is it taking my picture?"