White-nosed Coati

About

CoWHATee?! A coati (co-AH-tee)! These curious creatures seem like a strange animal mishmash. They climb through trees with ease like monkeys. On the ground, their long, lifted tails resemble miniature long-necked dinosaurs. Their masked faces, ringed tails, and flat-footed stride are like raccoons’. Now we are getting somewhere! Coatis are in the raccoon family along with their smaller cousins, ringtails. Unlike their nocturnal relatives, coatis are active by day. Since they hang out in groups of up to 30, that is a lot of activity!

Adaptations

Coatis are adaptable creatures, comfortable in the trees or on the ground. They have long, flexible snouts to smell and probe for food in soil or under leaves. They use their strong, curved claws to dig up treats or scramble up trees. Their long tails help them balance as they run and jump among branches.

Food Web

Coatis are omnivores and eat just about anything: arthropods such as beetles, beetle grubs, ants, termites, centipedes, tarantulas, and scorpions; small vertebrates like mice, lizards, and frogs; fruit; seeds; and eggs. In some parts of their range, they drink flower nectar and act as pollinators. Coatis help plants in other ways, too. They help to control insect and rodent populations. The holes they create as they search for food allow air and water to enter the soil. Adult coatis are about the size of house cats, and many carnivores hunt them, including mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, and eagles.

Habitat and Range

There are four species of coatis in the Americas, but the white-nosed coati ranges from Arizona and New Mexico in the United States to northwest Colombia in South America. In our area, they are newcomers from the tropics — the first coati was recorded in southeastern Arizona in 1892. They have gradually expanded as far north as Flagstaff by following tree-filled riparian corridors. Coati habitats include mountain forests, river canyons, and tropical forests.

By IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, species assessors and the authors of the spatial data CC BY-SA 3.0
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White-nosed_Coati_area.png

Family Life

Females and young live together in bands of around 4 to 20 members. They invite males to join the group during breeding season, but otherwise, males mostly live alone. In Arizona, males join the females in the spring, and babies are born in June before the onset of summer rains. Before giving birth to up to seven kittens, pregnant females leave the band to make a nest of sticks and leaves high in a tree. They nurse and hide the babies in the safety of their nest. When the kits are about six weeks old, they are able to climb and run, so they rejoin the rest of the band. The females help each other to find food, babysit the young, and protect their band. At night, they sleep in trees or rocky cliff dens.

Since they live together in large groups, coatis communicate in many ways. They make alarm grunts, chitters, squeals, calls, and squeaks. They also use facial expressions and tail postures. The white nose and partial white eye-rings flash with nose-up or nose-down poses. When the band is out looking for food, they hold their tails high so they can see each other. An upright tail means a coati is content. Band members also touch noses, nibble necks, and groom each other to keep relations smooth in the group.

Glossary

Arthropods:

animals that have no backbone but are covered in a hard outer shell called an exoskeleton. They also have jointed legs and bodies in distinct sections or segments.

Carnivores:

animals that eat other animals.

Omnivores:

animals that eat other animals as well as plants.

Pollinators:

animals that drink flower nectar and spread pollen from flower to flower, helping plants produce fruits and seeds.

Riparian corridors:

Areas alongside rivers and streams. In the southwest US, the water supports trees such as cottonwood, willow, ash, and sycamore. These green ribbons pass through dry deserts and grasslands and provide food, water, shelter, and passageways for many animals.

Vertebrates:

animals that have backbones.

Fun Facts

• Coatis have double-jointed ankles that can rotate 180 degrees and allow them to climb down trees face first.
• Coatis hunt tarantulas. They have learned to rub the itchy hairs off their abdomens before ingesting them.
• Over the years, Desert Museum keepers have provided our exhibit coatis with perfumes or oils as enrichment. The coatis like to rub these scents into their fur!
• Because coatis are new arrivals to our region, for a long time, the Tohono O'odham only saw these amazing climbers on trading trips further south. They adapted the Spanish word for monkey, chango, for their resemblance.
• Coatis have many different names throughout their range. “Coati” comes from two South American Indigenous (Tupi) words, “cua” (belt) and “tim” (nose), and refers to the way coatis sleep with their noses tucked against their bellies. “Coatimundi” was the name given to lone males.
• Coati males can be twice the size of females. With their larger size and solitary lifestyles, people thought they might be different animals. Today people use the term coatimundi for any coati.
• Coatis are curious and full of energy, just like kids. That’s why they were chosen as the mascot for our special family membership at the Desert Museum, the Coati Kids Club! Follow the link to find out how you can join this special band of coatis!

Conservation

White-nosed coatis are expanding in Arizona. Internationally, their IUCN Conservation Status is listed as Least Concern. However, two South American coati species are listed as near threatened and endangered. Threats to coatis include habitat loss, hunting for meat, and the exotic pet trade. Coatis are cute, but these agile wild animals, with their sharp teeth and long claws, do not make good pets.

IUCN Conservation Status: White-nosed coatis are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

At The Museum

• Stand out Individuals (Zucchini, male South American/brown-nosed coati)


• Schedule (open year-round)


• Accessibility (rough terrain & wheelchair accessible)

Links to Learn More