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Location, Habitat and Diet
White-nosed coatis can be found in a broad range of habitats, ranging from the desert areas of southwestern North America extending south through Central America and Panama, to the Amazon rainforest. They are omnivorous and enjoy a diverse diet of fruits, insects, and occasionally small vertebrates such as lizards, snakes or mice.
Size and Description
The body of the coati is approximately two feet long, not including their tail, which can also grow to about another two feet in length. They are easily identified by their long pointy noses, with a white patch of fur around the muzzle that splits to form a V that extends above their eyes. Their long tails are black striped and their coats are generally vary from light brown to a dark brown-black.
Social Life and Reproduction
Female coatis and their young live in noisy, playful groups of up to approximately 20 or 30. At about age 2, the males will leave their family group to live alone. A single adult male will be allowed to rejoin a group for a short time to mate with the females. The gestation or pregnancy period of a coati is approximately 77 days. When the time comes to deliver the babies, the female will leave the band and build a nest in a tree, where they give birth to approximately 2 to 7 young. Once the babies are approximately 5 weeks old, they return to the group with their mother.
The coati's long, sensitive nose helps it root through leaves and dirt to sniff out all types of food. Their long, strong claws can then dig out their meals. The coati's diverse diet makes it easily adaptable to a wide range of habitats. Those powerful claws combined with long tails for balance also make them excellent climbers. They spend their time both on land and in trees, and can be active in the daytime or at night.
The term "coatimundi" originated around the turn of the century and was used at that time to describe the males, who live alone- "mundi" means "solitary". Over time this term has come to be used interchangeably with "coati" to describe both sexes.
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|Kingdom: Phylum: Order: Class: Family: Genus: Species:||Animalia Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Procyonidae Nasua narica|