Coati

Quick Take

• The coati's name is a visual joke hiding in plain sight, and once you see it, you can't unsee it. Discover the name's meaning →
• Coatis have a physical feature so unusual that it lets them do something most climbers can't, and they do it at surprising speed. See their double-jointed ankles →
• Male coatis live by a social rule that completely flips the norm, with one brief window each year being the only exception. Learn about solitary males →
• Coati babies are called something you'd never expect, and their first weeks follow a surprisingly strict developmental timeline. Read about coati kittens →

Coatis are furry animals that are native to South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Southwestern United States. They are usually found throughout these regions. Their name, coatimundi, is known to be derived from the Tupi language of Brazil.

The name ‘Coati’ originated from the Spanish word “coatí,” which goes back to Old Tupi. Their word, kua’ti, is a combination of two words: “cua” (meaning “belt”) and “tim” (meaning “nose”).

The visually descriptive name is due to the coati’s habit of sticking its nose into its belly when it sleeps. The creature’s scientific name ‘Nasua’ also comes from the Latin word meaning ‘nose’.

Incredible Coati Facts

• Coatis have unusually long noses that help them feed by probing under rocks in search of food.
• Coatis usually walk with their tails high up in the air. It is used for balancing purposes while climbing.
• Coatis have double-jointed ankles that make them flexible and help them descend trees at a much higher speed.
• These creatures make a ‘woof’ sound when they are surprised and slowly leap into the bushes in groups after that.
• Their groups can get as big as about 25 or more members.

Classification and Scientific Name

True coatis belong to the genus Nasua and are also called coatimundi or coatimundu. They are known to come from the family Procyonidae. The name coatimundi has been derived from the Tupi language of Brazil.

There are generally 2 to 4 recognized species of coati:

• White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica): Found from the southwestern United States down through Central America to northwestern Colombia.
  • Nasua narica narica: Southern Mexico, Central America, and northern/western Colombia.
  • Nasua narica molaris: Mexico and the southwestern United States.
  • Nasua narica nelsoni (Cozumel Island coati / dwarf coati): Native to Cozumel Island, Mexico.
  • Nasua narica yucatanica: Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico.
• South American Coati / Ring-tailed Coati (Nasua nasua): Found across South America in lowland forests east of the Andes, ranging from Colombia and Venezuela south to Uruguay and northern Argentina. It features numerous regional subspecies (such as Nasua nasua solitaria, Nasua nasua vittata, etc.).
• Mountain Coati (Nasuella olivacea): A smaller, high-altitude species found in the Andes mountains of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
  • Nasuella olivacea olivacea (Eastern mountain coati)
  • Nasuella olivacea meridensis (Western mountain coati / sometimes elevated to a distinct species, Nasuella meridensis).

Appearance and Behavior

Coatis have sleek and slender heads. Their noses are the highlight of their faces and are usually long and flexible. These furry creatures have small ears, long tails, and dark feet.

They often use their tails for balancing their bodies. Their fur coats usually come in black or brown colors with a lighter underpart. Coatis are about 12 inches in height and usually weigh between 4 and 18 lbs.

Their front feet are equipped with curved claws that are relatively long. The back feet, however, have shorter claws. Their toes are webbed, and they are known to be powerful swimmers. The male coati is known to be double the size of female coatis and has sharp canines.

Different types of coati have slightly different behavioral characteristics. Some of them are active during the daytime. Others are active during the night. They are known to be very intelligent animals and are also very adaptable.

These creatures sleep in higher, elevated places and live in groups that can be as big as 30 members. These groups are called bands. When surprised, these groups make a ‘woof’ noise and then leap into the bushes.

Adult coati males are especially known to be solitary creatures and join the females only at mating time. Coatis are also known to be excellent climbers and usually take the help of their tails to balance their bodies while climbing. They descend to the ground to hunt for food.

Habitat

Coatis are animals that are found only on the American continent and usually live in moist or tropical rainforests. They live in elevated areas — mostly above 3000 meters — which could include pine and oak trees. Their fur coat helps them survive these conditions.

These are found in Arizona, Mexico, Central and Southern America, and the Southwestern United States. It is usually unlikely, but some coatis can also be found in deserts and savannas. The ring-tailed coati is primarily found in South America, and it is also known as the South American coati or the banded-tail coati.

Diet

Omnivorous in nature, coatis have a diet that includes a variety of things like lizards, eggs, birds, and crocodile eggs. They also eat fruit as well as invertebrates, which they dig out from beneath the ground using their long claws. They are known to travel a lot in search of food.

Predators and Threats

Like all the other animals, coatis are also a part of the environmental food chain, and there are a lot of animals that prey on them. These predators include maned wolves, anacondas, tayras, dogs, and foxes. Some other animals that are known to prey on them are ocelots, raptors, eagles, jaguarundis, and boa constrictors. The pups are at particular risk of becoming the dinner of the white-headed capuchin monkey.

These creatures are also under threat due to human activities like hunting and deforestation, as their natural habitat has been degenerating. Humans are also known to eat coatis, which is also why the coati population is said to be in decline.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

The start of the rainy season is usually when the coati mates. The process starts when one male coati joins the band and mates with all the females. Once the baby has been conceived, the female leaves the group and builds a nest high up in the tree. The gestation period lasts for about three months, after which the female gives birth to 2 to 7 babies that are called kittens.

The kittens have their eyes closed at birth and usually only open them when they are about 10 days old. Around day 19, they start standing up and can walk by day 24. Around 6 to 10 weeks of age, the kittens rejoin the band with their mothers, and further care continues inside the band with the help of other female members of the group. The average coati lives for about 14 years.

Population

The coati population is not very clear, as these animals have not been studied very well.

However, it has been assumed that the numbers have declined because not only do these creatures fall prey to natural predators, but they also face a threat from hunting and degradation of their natural habitat due to deforestation by human beings. Humans also feed on coatis, which is also known to be a reason that the coati population is in decline in some areas.

The population varies from place to place. The greatest number of members that a band or coati group has been known to have is more than 150 members.

Zoo

Coatis can not survive in very peculiar environments, and hence it would usually not be a good idea to keep them in captivity. Moreover, they are energetic animals, and keeping them in small cages wouldn’t be an appropriate thing to do. They usually require a lot of time outside.