Coatis are mammals related to the raccoon, they
have a long body and tail.
Coati Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Procyonidae
Genus: Nasua and Nasuella
Species:
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Other Names: Brazilian Aardvark, Mexican
Tejón, Hog-nosed Coon, Pizotes, Panamanian Gatosolo,
Crackoons, Coati Mundi, Coatimundi, Red-tailed
Coatimundi, Ring-tailed coatimundi, White-nosed
Coatimundi, Coati, Quashand, and Snookum bears
Coati in Foreign Languages:
German: Nasenbär / Nasenbären
Japanese: hanaguma
Navajo: tábaah ma'ii bichi´i´h
nineezí
Portuguese: quati
Russian: koáti
Spanish: coatí / cuchucho / cusumbo
/ gato solo / pezote / pizote / tejón
/ zorro guache
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Size: Coatis measure 13 to 27 inches in
length from their nose to the tip of their tail.
Coatis stand 12 inches at the shoulder, and weigh
4.4 - 18 lbs. Males coatis can weigh twice as
much as female coatis.
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Species: There are two genus classifications
for coatis, with a total of 5 species.
Coati Species Include:
White-nosed Coati - Nasua
Nasua narica
South American Coati - Nasua Nasua
Cozumel Island Coati - Nasua Nelsoni Merriam
Eastern Moutain Coati - Nasuella Nasuella Meridensis
Western Mountain Coati - Nasuella Olivacea
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Habitat: Coatis are found in Arizona, New Mexico,
Central America, the Amazon rainforest, Argentina, and
Uruguay. Coatis inhabit woodlands, desert grasslands,
and forests.
Description: Coatis are built similar to raccoons
but they tend to have a more slender build with a non-prehensile
tail. Coatis have long protruding snouts, with large,
sharp canine teeth.
Behavior: Coatis are active during the day,
and arboreal.
Diet: Coatis eat insects, fruit, and occasionally
mice, frogs, lizards, rodents, small birds, birds' eggs,
and crocodile eggs. Coatis locate food by using their
long noses, poking them under rocks and into crevices.
They also use their long claws to dig holes or tear
apart rotting logs.
Communication: Coatis communicate with
chirping, snorting, or grunting sounds.
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Did You Know?
Coatis are fierce fighters, they use
their sharp canine teeth, strong jaws,
and claws as a means of defense.
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Gestation: Coatis carry their young for 10-11
weeks.
Birth: Coatis give birth to litters of 2-7 babies.
Coati babies are blind at birth and remain so for approximately
12 days. Baby coatis are weaned at about 4 months of
age.
Sexually Mature: Coatis reach sexual maturity
at about 2 years of age.
Life Span: Coatis live 7-8 years in the wild,
in captivity coatis live up to 15 years.
Social Structure: All female coatis and young
males live in groups called bands, of up to 20 members.
Adult mature male coatis live alone.
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