This page is a list of species of the order Carnivora discovered in the 2000s. The order also contains animals once classified separately in Pinnipedia. See also parent page, Mammals discovered in the 2000s.
Neofelis diardi is a medium-sized wild cat found on Borneo, Sumatra and the Batu Islands in the Malay Archipelago and publicised under the name Bornean clouded leopard by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on March 14, 2007. Its coat is marked with irregularly-shaped, dark-edged ovals, which are said to be shaped like clouds, hence its common name. Though scientists have known of its existence since the early 19th century, it was positively identified as being a distinct species in its own right in 2006, having long been believed to be a subspecies of the mainland clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa). WWF quoted Dr. Stephen O'Brien of the U.S. National Cancer Institute as saying, "Genetic research results clearly indicate that the clouded leopard of Borneo should be considered a separate species". Some journalists have pointed out, though, that this taxon is previously known as a subspecies, and claim that the WWF announcement of a new species was more designed to draw attention to its endangered status.
In 2005, it was announced that research had concluded that the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) population in the Qinling Mountains, China, was sufficiently different from other pandas to warrant the creation of a new subspecies, Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis. Among other differences, the Qinling panda has brown and white coloration, replacing the familiar black and white fur of typical giant pandas.[1]
In December 2005, pictures (taken in 2003[2]) of a potential new species of carnivoran, known in the press as the "cat-fox" were published.[3] The images were taken by a night-time camera trap set by the WWF on the Indonesian side of Borneo.[4] At first sight, they seem to show some kind of viverrid, slightly larger than a cat, with red fur. Some speculated that the creature could be the rare Hose's palm civet (Diplogale hosei), or another known species like the bay cat, and that there was not enough evidence to claim that it was a new species.[5] It was later argued that the animal on the photos may in fact be the poorly known Thomas' flying squirrel (Aeromys thomasi), or potentially the red giant flying squirrel (Petaurista petaurista).[6]
In 2002, Lowe's servaline genet (Genetta servalina lowei) was photographed by a camera trap in Tanzania. Its rediscovery marks the first time the viverrid had been recorded since its type specimen, a single pelt, was collected in 1932.[7]
A new subspecies of the honey badger was discovered in Turkmenistan in 2000. It is similar to the subspecies M. c. indica and M. c. inaurita, but has differences, including a larger size.[8]
A new subspecies of the African civet was described based on a skull found in December 1999 in southeastern Djibouti.[9]
The olinguito, living in the Andean cloud forest, was categorized as a distinct species in 2013. It had previously been identified as a small olingo.[10]