A relative of raccoons with a long upturned snout and a long banded tail held vertically. Female coatis live in noisy "bands" of 10–25 individuals while adult males are solitary.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The white-nosed coati, also known as the coatimundi, is a species of coati and a member of the family Procyonidae. Local Spanish names for the species include antoon, gato solo, pizote, and tejón, depending upon the region. It weighs about 4–6 kg (8.8–13.2 lb), and the nose-to-tail length of the species is about 110 cm (3.6 ft) with about half of that being the tail length. However, small females can weigh as little as 3.1 kg (6.8 lb), while large males can weigh as much as 9 kg (20 lb).
Source: Wikipedia — White-nosed coati Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Long-snouted raccoon relative with banded tail held vertically; brown body with paler face.
Similar species. Raccoon (different shape, masked face). Ringtail (much smaller).
Voice. Various chirps, grunts, and chitters.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Omnivorous: insects, fruits, small vertebrates, eggs.
Behavior. Female coatis live in noisy social bands; adult males solitary. Long upturned snout used for rooting.
§ Range
Mexico and Central America; small US population in southern Arizona/New Mexico
§ Habitat
Riparian woodlands, sky-island canyons, oak-juniper
§ Threats
Habitat loss in northern range, vehicle strikes, persecution as agricultural pests.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the white-nosed coati is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support sky-island corridor protection. Don't feed wildlife near campgrounds. Slow down on rural roads.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — White-nosed coati
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Nasua narica
- IUCN Red List · taxon 41683
- iNaturalist · taxon 41660
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Nasua narica
§ Sources cited
- American Society of Mammalogists
- National Park Service
- IUCN Red List 2016
