World's strangest animals (Beasts): Olingo - the smallest and weirdest raccoon

oscarcede (64)in #steempress • 6 years ago (edited)

In appearance, behavior and habits, it is simply impossible to determine if this funny and interesting animal belongs to a particular family.

SourceOutwardly, this animal looks like a cross between a lemur, a domestic cat and a rat that is too big.

Almost all his life was spent on trees, which is characteristic mainly of primates. And by habits, manners and grace, it looks a lot like a cat.

This same animal is olingo and, in fact, has nothing to do with animals so similar.

Olingo is the smallest representative in the raccoon family. The length of the body varies from 35 to 45 cm, with a weight of up to 2 kg.

The legs of the animal are short, but with long "multifunctional" fingers. Interestingly, Olingo palms are covered with hair on all legs, which is rare in creatures that live in trees.

A long (up to 50 cm) and very fluffy tail serves as an excellent means of maintaining balance.

SourceThe coat of olingo is unique, the animal's coat is not particularly long, but it is very dense and incredibly soft and pleasant to the touch, the length of the hair on the tail is several times longer and smoother.

In a word, this raccoon will give possibilities to any teddy bear. The coloration is also very beautiful: tones and reflows vary from back to belly, it is generally the brightest, with dark rings in the tail.

But the main characteristic of the coloration: the tip of each hair has a different color to most of the length, due to the impression that the olingo layer plays in the light and changes color.

Olingo prefers the dense tropical and subtropical forests of South and Central America. They live in trees, mainly in fruit trees.

SourceThey also eat mainly fruits, rarely flowers and nectar, not insecticides and small animals such as rodents and bats.

The Olingos are nocturnal, they sleep during the day because of what often become easy prey for predators: jaguars and large snakes.

However, by no means predators have brought these cute little animals to the brink of extinction.

Human activities, in particular, deforestation have taken away most of their natural habitat, given by nature itself. One of the five species has already disappeared from the face of the earth.