Bassaricyon gabbii Allen, 1876 (Carnivora: Procyonidae): new distribution point on western range of Colombian Andes

Abstract

A new distribution point for the bushy-tailed olingo (Bassaricyon gabbii) was documented based on a specimen found in the forest on the eastern slope of the western range of the Colombian Andes (El Duende Regional Reserve, Valle del Cauca). The location where the animal was found had features similar to those where the species has been previously documented. We extend the known the species distribution to the western range of the Colombian Andes, both versants of the interandean valley of the Cauca River in Colombia and its elevation distribution up to 2200 m asl. Additional surveys are necessary to evaluate the conservation status of olingo populations into this protected area.

Taxonomic revision of the olingos (Bassaricyon), with description of a new species, the Olinguito

“…The two north-westernmost records of Bassaricyon medius in Colombia, from Villa Arteaga, Antioquia District (FMNH 69578) and from the Cauca Valley (AMNH 37797) have large anterior premolars relative to Bassaricyon medius medius and we tentatively attribute them to Bassaricyon medius orinomus , with Bassaricyon medius medius then recorded further south in forests of the Chocó and Western Andean slopes. The specimen from the Cauca Valley (from Puerta Valdivia, Antioquia District: Allen 1916) demonstrates that Bassaricyon medius also occurs in lowland forests in between the Western and Central Andes; another low elevation specimen from the Cauca Valley of Colombia reported by Saavedra-Rodríguez and Velandia-Perilla (2011) (UV-3774, Río Agua Sucia, Río Cajambre, 725 m) that we have not examined is also presumably Bassaricyon medius .…”

“…These holdings include all type specimens in the genus and represent the great majority (well over 95%) of olingo specimens in world museums. We also had access to published information on a few additional specimens in museum collections in Colombia and Bolivia (Saavedra-Rodríguez and Velandia-Perilla 2011, Anderson 1997). Tissue samples are stored in the frozen tissue collections of the MVZ, ROM, USNM (including specimens to be accessioned at QCAZ), the (NYSM)New York State Museum, Albany, New York, USA , and the (TTU)Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA (Table 1).…”

“…This is the representative of Bassaricyon neblina on the eastern slopes of the Western Andes of Colombia (e.g., Castilla Mountains [AMNH]; Sabanetas [FMNH]; El Tambo [NMS]; the vicinity of Cali [Poglayen-Neuwall 1976]; El Duende [Saavedra-Rodríguez and Velandia-Perilla 2011]; Gallera: “western slope of most eastern ridge of southern Western Andes” [AMNH, Paynter 1997:222]) and the western slopes of the Central Andes of Colombia (Cerro Munchique [FMNH]). One specimen (AMNH 42351, from Santa Elena, Antioquia Department) derives from the eastern slopes of the Central Andes in northern Colombia (habitat described as “deforested, grassy, and bushy (Chapman 1917:61)”; Paynter 1997:403); this shows that this subspecies also crosses to the eastern slopes of the Central Andes in Antioquia.…”

“…Bassaricyon medius medius is also recorded from the Cauca Valley (east slopes of Western Andes and western slopes of Central Andes) at elevations up to at least 725 m (UV-3774: Saavedra-Rodríguez and Velandia-Perilla 2011; see account of Bassaricyon medius below), so these two taxa ( Bassaricyon medius medius and Bassaricyon neblina osborni ) are presumably regionally sympatric (and probably elevationally stratified) across the range of this Olinguito subspecies on the slopes of the Western and Central Andes.…”

“…Olinguito museum specimens previously reported in the literature include specimens from Gallera, Colombia, mentioned by Allen (1912, 1916) (AMNH 32608 and 32609, as “ Bassaricyon medius ”); a specimen from Santa Elena, Colombia, reported by Anthony (1923) (AMNH 42351, as “ Bassaricyon medius ”), specimens from “El Duende Regional Reserve” (2200 m asl; 04°02'55.6"N, 76°27'28.4"W)” and “Los Alpes, Florida, 2250 m asl” in Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia (mammal collection of the Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia, specimen numbers 12736, 13700) discussed by Saavedra-Rodríguez and Velandia-Perilla (2011) (as “ Bassaricyon gabbii ”); and a skull from San Antonio, Huila Department, Colombia (FMNH 70727) figured by Prange and Prange (2009) (as “ Bassaricyon gabbii ”, designated above as the holotype of Bassaricyon neblina hershkovitzi ). One Olinguito specimen, AMNH 32609, bears an unpublished scientific name, “Bassaricyon osborni ”, written on the skull and on the tags, apparently during the early twentieth century—correctly reflecting an understanding that the specimen represented an undescribed species.…”