Olingo

This is an olingo who has climbed across a wire and is hanging upside down in order to steal a drink from a hummingbird feeder at the hummingbird gardens at Monteverde.

Olingos are mammals whose nearest relatives are the coati. Their territory ranges from Nicaragua to Peru. This photo shows that they are very clever and nimble

Their bodies are only 36-42 cm (14-16 in.) in length, although they have ringed, bushy tails that are about the same length as their bodies. They weigh only 1.1-1.4 kg (2-3 lbs.) as adults, and weigh only 55 grams (.12 lbs., or 1.9 ounces) at birth. It takes a baby olingo 27 days just to open its eyes.

We see olingos at our condo on the beach in the Langosta area of Tamarindo. The most common times we see one is when we are on our second story balcony/patio at night listenind to the waves and watching the ocean. We can sometimes see an olingo walking around the grassy area below. Occasionally we see one walking around the parking lot or even in the corridor of our condo, which is outdoors. They will walk away and keep their distance when they see a person coming.

They travel alone and live a solitary life. They are nocturnal, as you might guess from looking at the size of the eyes in the olingo in this photo. This picture was taken late in the afternoon, as the olingo was beginning its day. They eat fruit, nectar, insects, small birds and mammals.