Western lowland olingo

Western lowland olingo
Sitting on a branch
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Procyonidae
Genus:	Bassaricyon
Species:	B. medius
Binomial name
Bassaricyon medius Thomas, 1909
Distribution of the western lowland olingo
Synonyms
Bassariscyon gabbi orinomus Goldman, 1912

The western lowland olingo (Bassaricyon medius) is a species of olingo from Central and South America, where it is known from Panama and from Colombia and Ecuador west of the Andes. ^[2]

Description

The western lowland olingo is smaller than the northern olingo, but larger than the most montane member of the genus, the recently described olinguito ("little olingo"). ^[2] While the Panamanian subspecies B. m. orinomus is about the same size as the eastern lowland olingo, the subspecies from west of the Andes, B. m. medius is smaller. ^[2] The pelage is slightly lighter than that of the eastern species. ^[2]

It has a head-body length of 31 to 41 centimetres (12 to 16 in), with a tail length of 35 to 52 centimetres (14 to 20 in). ^[2] It weighs .9 to 1.2 kilograms (2.0 to 2.6 lb). ^[2]

Taxonomy

There are two subspecies of the western lowland olingo: the nominate B. m. medius (Colombia and Ecuador) and B. m. orinomus (Panama and possibly Colombia). ^[2] The closest relative of the western lowland olingo is the other lowland olingo species, B. alleni , found east of the Andes, from which it diverged about 1.3 million years ago. ^[2]

References

1. Helgen, K.; Kays, R.; Pinto, C.; Schipper, J. (2020). "Bassaricyon medius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T48637802A166523410. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T48637802A166523410.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. Helgen, K. M.; Pinto, M.; Kays, R.; Helgen, L.; Tsuchiya, M.; Quinn, A.; Wilson, D.; Maldonado, J. (2013-08-15). "Taxonomic revision of the olingos (Bassaricyon), with description of a new species, the Olinguito". ZooKeys (324): 1–83. Bibcode:2013ZooK..324....1H. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.324.5827 . PMC   3760134 . PMID   24003317.