olingo

/oh ling"goh/, n., pl. olingos. n.

any raccoonlike, nocturnal, fruit-eating mammal of the genus Bassaricyon, inhabiting tropical jungles from Nicaragua to Peru and Bolivia and having large eyes and a long, ringed tail.

[1915-20; of unexplained orig.]

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▪ mammal

also called  Cuataquil 

      (Bassaricyon), any of about four species of small arboreal carnivores of the raccoon family, Procyonidae, found in the jungles of Central and northern South America. Olingos are slender, grayish-brown animals 35–50 centimetres (14–20 inches) long, excluding the bushy, faintly ringed tail, which accounts for an additional 40–50 cm. They have soft fur, pointed muzzles, and rounded ears. They resemble kinkajous but are less stocky and have narrower snouts and longer-haired, nonprehensile tails. Olingos are nocturnal, often travel in small groups, and feed primarily on fruit. Little else is known of their habits.

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