Coati

Lore & Background

Coatis are members of the family Procyonidae, which includes raccoons and kinkajous. They are divided into two genera: Nasua (white-nosed and South American coatis) and Nasuella (mountain coatis). The name 'coatimundi' comes from Tupian languages of Brazil, meaning 'lone coati,' while in Belize they are known as 'quash.' Adult coatis measure 33 to 69 cm from head to tail base, with tails as long as their bodies, and weigh between 2 and 8 kg. They have slender heads, elongated flexible snouts, small ears, dark feet, and non-prehensile tails used for balance and signaling.

Reader's Guide

Coatis are significant as widespread omnivores in the Americas, occupying diverse habitats from arid areas to rainforests and Andean slopes. Their social structure is notable: females and young males form bands of 4 to 25 individuals, while males over two years become solitary, joining only during breeding season. They communicate through chirps, snorts, and grunts, and use scent-marking from preputial glands. Coatis face threats from environmental destruction and unregulated hunting in Central and South America, and population studies are lacking. In captivity, they are kept as pets but require specialized care. Their closest relatives are olingos, with divergence estimated around 10.2 million years ago. The Cozumel Island coati is now treated as a subspecies of the white-nosed coati.

Did You Know?

• Coatis can rotate their snouts up to 60° in any direction.
• They have nonretractable claws and walk plantigrade like raccoons and bears.
• Females give birth to litters of three to seven kits after an 11-week gestation.
• Around 10 coatis are thought to have formed a breeding population in Cumbria, UK.