|
The coati belongs to the family “Procyodidae”. The word comes from the prefix pro, meaning ‘before’ and kuon, meaning ‘dog’. Their most well known relative is the raccoon, which is thought to be an ancestor of the dog. Coatis have a long, slender, flexible nose that is used for detecting food items hidden in the leaf litter on the forest floor. Long claws are used to dig up grubs, roots and termites. The name “coati” is of Indian origin and refers to the manner in which the coati tucks its nose into its belly while sleeping. They are common in Central and South America and Mexico and are still found in Arizona. One subspecies is considered a Texas endangered species.
Coati females live with their young in groups with other mothers and young. These groups are called “bands”. Bands are loosely formed and frequently change in size and membership. The young males are forced to leave the natal bands when they are two years of age. Males travel alone but their ranges overlap with female bands. Males are allowed to socialize with the bands only during the breeding season. When the female becomes pregnant she leaves her band to build a nest in a tree. There, after a gestation period of 70 to 74 days, she will have a litter of babies numbering from one to seven. The babies will stay in the nest for about 5 weeks and then follow their mother to rejoin their band.
The coati is omnivorous, eating insects, lizards, frogs, birds, and a variety of fruits. Eggs are a delicacy. During fruiting season, individual bands will come together, sometimes numbering one hundred or more animals, and feed from the same trees.
Unfortunately, many baby coatis are taken for the pet trade. All of Fossil Rim’s coatis are unwanted ex-pets. A sometimes ferocious disposition, needle sharp teeth and long claws of an adult coati can be a very dangerous threat to people. At Fossil Rim the coati are in the Intensive Management Area where they are seen by the Behind the Scenes Tours. |
|
Brown-Nosed Coati
Nasua narica |
STATUS:
Endangered in Texas |
ORIGIN:
Southwestern US to Argentina |
HEIGHT:
8” to 12” at shoulder |
WEIGHT:
10-25 pounds; males are larger than females |
CHARACTERISTICS:
Raccoon like, but more slender with a longer snout. The tail can be banded or unbanded |
GESTATION/OFFSPRING/BIRTH DAYS
70-74 days |
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR:
Matriarchal troops; all male coati are subordinate to all females; males are solitary |
LIFESPAN:
17-20 years in captivity |
HABITAT:
Rainforests to dry, arid regions |
FOOD:
Omnivores – fruit, vegetables, insects, grubs, lizards, frogs, mice, snails, eggs, roots, nuts, termites, earthworms, mango, fig |
PREDATORS:
Man, jaguar |
|
