August 15, 2013: New carnivorous mammal discovered in the Americas

Undertoad • Aug 15, 2013 4:22 pm
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As of today, a hearty "welcome to the taxonomic rankings" for our little buddy up there, now called the olinguito. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, this is the first new carnivorous mammal species discovered on the American continents in THIRTY-FIVE YEARS.

He was there all along, and we must have just missed him. He's a kind of raccoon. The last new mammal was discovered in 1978; it was the Colombian weasel. This new guy also lives mostly in Colombia.

They find new insects and frogs all the time, but not mammals. We take notice of them, cos they're in our group.
Gravdigr • Aug 15, 2013 5:18 pm
Heh, I wasn't sure, when I read about our newest furry friend, that we'd found a new mammal since I'd been born, 45 yrs ago.

I'm thinking.........slow-cooked with taters and onions and carrots.


ETA: Ooh, and a loaf of King's Hawaiian Bread. :yum:
Gravdigr • Aug 15, 2013 5:20 pm
Olinguito, Wikilink
CaliforniaMama • Aug 16, 2013 11:29 pm
Linguisa . . . chorizo . . . olinguito . . .
Diaphone Jim • Aug 17, 2013 12:10 pm
The guy filling in for Brian Williams, Lester Holt, blithely showed his general ignorance by locating this new critter in North America. Nobody on the NBC staff caught it or thought it important enough for a correction.
Makes you wonder if they know where Cairo actually is.
Griff • Aug 17, 2013 12:39 pm
Cute little guy. :)

Don't doubt the level of ignorance in journalism. Our schools are not getting it done.
xoxoxoBruce • Aug 17, 2013 10:19 pm
Source...

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richlevy • Aug 18, 2013 8:30 am
Diaphone Jim;873615 wrote:
Makes you wonder if they know where Cairo actually is.
Just follow the columns of smoke.


Cute animal. I wonder how dangerous it is. I'm always leery when someone uses the term 'carnivorous', because most mammals are not.


The animal is an omnivorous frugivore[3] that eats mainly fruits (such as figs), but also insects and nectar resulting in feces the size of small blueberries.[


Note to self. Do not pick blueberries in Cobombian forests.
Sundae • Aug 18, 2013 11:24 am
I bit the droppings are easier to cleanup and more fragrant smelling than the Dizcat's.

Lickle faeces which smell fruity and have the occasional piece of chitin sticking out would not make me get up at 03.00 in the morning, in the dark, when I have to get up at 05.15, because the litter tray is minging out the room.

Grav ifyou are going to eat it, I'd suggest at least an accompanying coulis, if not a berry based sauce. But can I have the fur? I'd never kill an animal for its skin, but if it's just going in the bin anyway... Looks soft. Cushion covers I think.
Spexxvet • Aug 19, 2013 5:31 pm
Undertoad;873460 wrote:

He was there all along, and we must have just missed him.


Just like Bigfoot. ;)
CaliforniaMama • Aug 23, 2013 6:06 pm
Spexxvet;873792 wrote:
Just like Bigfoot. ;)


OMG! Big Foot has now taken over Redwood Tree territory! I guess the beauty and majesty of the trees wasn't selling enough souvenirs. :(
Gravdigr • Aug 26, 2013 2:26 pm
Sundae;873673 wrote:
But can I have the fur?


Well, I was gonna make an olinguito-fur cockwarmer, but, if you really want it, it's yours.