Olinguito, a New Mammal Species discovered

Scientists of Smithsonian Institution of US have announced a rare discovery of a new species of mammal called the Olinguito on 15 August 2013.

Olinguito is a reddish-brown animal and is about 14-inches long with an equally long tail and weighs about 2 pounds (0.9 Kg)

Scientists of Smithsonian Institution discovered this new animal in the cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador.

It has been named olinguito and it is the first new species of carnivore to be identified in the Western hemisphere in 35 years. It has taken more than a decade to identify the mammal.

The olinguito is a carnivore - that group of mammals that includes cats, dogs and bears and their relatives. This is a new carnivore - the first to be found on the American continent for more than three decades.