The Search for Olinguito

Discovering a New Species (Sandra Markle's Science Discoveries)

By: Sandra Markle

Narrated by: Book Buddy Digital Media

In the dark, Kristofer Helgen and a group of scientists peered up into the treetops of the Ecuadorian cloud forest. Staring back at them was a furry, four-legged creature. Could it be the mysterious, wild olinguito?

Helgen had been studying the olingo, a relative of raccoons, for years. As he examined their pelts and skulls in museums, he noticed differences in a few. Through scientific investigating, he realized the different examples weren't olingos at all - he had discovered a completely new species.

Next, he just had to find it - if it still existed. Follow Helgen's real-life science adventure through museums, laboratories, and the cloud forest as he makes an exciting modern discovery.

Please note: The original source audio for this production includes noise/volume issues. This is the best available audio from the publisher.

©2017 Sandra Markle (P)2020 Lerner Digital ™

Critic reviews

"This quick but wondrous look at the scientific search for the olinguito is an excellent addition to science collections." (School Library Journal)

"A compelling account of the solution of a scientific mystery." (Kirkus Reviews, starred)

"At the opening of the twenty-first century, scientists were uncertain whether olingos, racoon-like forest dwellers, comprised one or more than one species. As researcher Kristofer Helgen investigated this issue, he stumbled upon pelts and skulls stored in various natural history museums that pointed to a related but separate problem: perhaps some of the remains labeled as olingos were actually another mammal entirely. Markle focuses on the decade where Helgen began studying the animals in museum storage, determined that a related animal he would call an olinguito existed as recently as the 1970s; he then hypothesized that they actually might still exist. He put together a team that sighted the animals in an Ecuadorian cloud forest and, after further research and documentation, had his work published and claimed naming rights to Bassaricyon neblina. Helgen's identification of a topic for study and the years-long trajectory of his research are laid out in economical, orderly chapters, supplemented with large photos and and maps that are nicely adapted to science-classroom use. Young patrons who regularly stalk the 599s in search of kissin' cute animals will also gravitate to the wide-eyed, silky-furred olinguito, who has all this time been contentedly squeaking on his nocturnal swings through the trees, just out of sight of nosy scientists. Source notes, glossary, a kid-appropriate reading list, and an index are included." (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books)