Hiding in the treetops of the Andean cloud forest, scientists have discovered the olinguito, a furry, fig-chomping mammal that had not been identified, until now. It is the first mammal in the order carnivora to be discovered in the Western hemisphere in 35 years. The olinguito is distinctively adorable -- covered in a thick coat of reddish brown fur with short, furry ears and a long tail reminiscent of a house cat's. Scientists describe it as a solitary animal that mostly eats the large, tomato-red figs that are found in the cloud forests of Ecuador and Colombia -- occasionally supplementing its diet with an insect or two. It is smaller than its relative the raccoon, but bigger than a squirrel, with an average weight of 2 pounds and an average length of 14 inches. Read more http://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-sn-olinguito-new-mammal-20130815,0,3251568.story
