Coatis are curious, ring-tailed mammals related to raccoons, native to the forests and grasslands of Central and South America and parts of the American Southwest. With their long, flexible snouts and habit of traveling in noisy troops, they're some of the most recognizable creatures in the Neotropics.
Here are the real facts behind these agile little bandits, from their social lives to their surprising sense of smell.
Coatis are omnivores with a diverse diet that includes fruits, insects, small mammals, eggs, and lizards, making them opportunistic feeders.
Females and young males live in social groups called bands, which typically include around 10 to 30 individuals.
Adult male coatis are usually solitary, only joining a band temporarily during the mating season.
Coatis are excellent climbers and use their long, flexible tails for balance as they move through trees searching for food or escaping predators.
Coatis have reddish-brown to grayish fur, a long pointed snout, and pale rings around the eyes and tail.
Coatis are often active during the day (diurnal), foraging on the ground and in trees, though they rest in tree nests at night.
Coatis have an exceptional sense of smell, which they rely on heavily to locate insects and other food buried in soil and leaf litter.
Coatis are highly adaptable and live in a range of habitats, including tropical forests, dry scrubland, and even areas near human settlements.
Coati bands are centered on adult females, who cooperate in raising young and defending territory, while males live apart from the group.
After a gestation period of about 10 to 11 weeks, female coatis give birth to litters of 2 to 7 offspring, called kits.
Coati kits are born in a nest built in a tree and are cared for collectively by the females of the band.
Coatis face threats from habitat loss, hunting, and vehicle collisions, though most species are not currently classified as endangered.
Coatis belong to the family Procyonidae, making them close relatives of raccoons, kinkajous, and olingos.
There are several coati species, including the white-nosed coati (Nasua narica) of Central America and Mexico, and the South American coati (Nasua nasua).
Coatis communicate using vocalizations, body postures, and scent marking from glands near their tails.
In the wild, coatis typically live around 7 years, while those in zoos or other captive care often live 14 years or more.
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