The long-tailed, orange-furred, big-eyed olinguito - said to resemble a cross between a house cat and a teddy bear - is the newest mammal and the first carnivore discovered in the Americas in 35 years, the Smithsonian Institution announced on Thursday.
Native to the high, misty cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador, the olinguito is the smallest member of the raccoon family, according to Kristofer Helgen, a Smithsonian scientist who recognized it as a distinct species 10 years ago.
The "aha" moment occurred not in a South American forest but at Chicago's Field Museum, the creature's discoverer, Helgen said at a news briefing.
Helgen said the teeth and skull of the specimen were much different from those of an olingo, which is larger and has more prominent ears than the olinguito.
He said he could have published this finding in a scientific journal then, but in the interest of being thorough, he sought out colleagues to confirm the existence of the new species in its natural habitat.
Olinguitos are considered carnivores, even though they eat mostly fruit, Helgen said. These creatures have teeth that look fully capable of eating meat, he added.
They have thick, woolly fur that is brighter than that of the more drab-colored Olingos. Olinguitos are about 2.5 feet (.76 meter) long and weigh about 2 pounds (900 grams). Males and females are about the same size, and females raise a single baby at a time, the scientists said.
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