A sneaky new species: scientists discover a new mammal in South America.

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A furry little animal has been hiding right under our noses for decades. Specimens of the animal, called the olinguito (oh-lihn-GEE-toh), are found in many museums. One even lived at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. But experts had always mistaken it for one of its relatives, the olingo. Scientists recently identified the olinguito as its own species. It's the first mammal species to be discovered in North, South, or Central America in 35 years.

Why the confusion? Olinguitos and olingos look similar and belong to the same animal family. Olinguitos, however, are smaller, with shorter tails and darker, bushier fur.

Kristofer Helgen recently set the record straight. He works at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Helgen identified the olinguito as a new species after studying the skeletons and fur of the animals.

Many of those specimens had been collected in mountaintop forests in Ecuador. Helgen led a team to the South American country to see what they could find. The scientists spotted olinguitos leaping from tree to tree on the very first night.

"It shows us how much more we have to learn about the natural world," Helgen says. "There are so many discoveries still to be made."

Word to Know

specimens (SPESS-uh-muhnz) noun, plural, samples, or examples used to represent a whole group

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Read the article as a class for general understanding. Then study it for specific grammar and punctuation conventions. Depending on the needs of your students, you might focus on any of the following:

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