The white-nosed coati, nasua narica, is a member of the raccoon family. They measure 40.5 to 44.8 inches (103 to 114 centimeters) from nose to tail and weigh (3.5 to 5 kilograms), with males being larger than females. Their claws are sharp, their small, and their pointed snout tilts upward a little at the end. They have a black mask as well as white around the eyes, nose, neck shoulders and even the inside of their ears. The fur on top is brown with a mixture of red and yellow while their undersides are a lighter brown. Their tails have a ringed pattern and their lower legs (as well as the tops of their feet) are blackish-brown.
The white-nosed coati can be found in the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America and parts of South America. They will inhabit a variety of wooded habitats such as temperate oak and pine forests, lowland rainforests and cloud forests, as well as deserts and savannahs from time to time. Despite the fact that the white-nosed coati travels on the ground most of the time, is actually a great tree climber as well as a great swimmer. Males are solitary while females and their young will travel in groups of 4 to 10 individuals. These groups will often take a break from foraging to groom one another. They are a diurnal species, meaning that they look for food during the day and sleep at night.
The diet of the white-nosed coati consists of a variety of plants and animals such as nuts, fruits, snakes, lizards, beetles, grubs, ants, termites, spiders, scorpions, rodents and even carrion. They will sniff along the ground with their snouts to search for food. If they smell something underground, then they will use their sharp claws to dig it up. A prickly pear is a favorite fruit for the white-nosed coati and if it finds a tree that produces them, then it will continue to return there until the tree is stripped bare. Predators that would hunt these mammals include jaguars, pumas, large hawks and eagles, snakes, crocodiles and even some monkey species.
Mating season for the white-nosed coati takes place from January through March. Males will join a female group and warn off other competing males by rearing on its hind legs, baring its teeth and turning up the end of its snout. After mating has taken place, the male will be forced out the group by the females. A female will leave the group when she is about to give birth and make a nest (which is often located in the crevice of a tree). She will give birth to anywhere from 2 to 6 offspring (called pups) after a gestation period of around 77 days. The pups will remain in the nest until they are 3 weeks old, at which time they will emerge and begin exploring. The mother and her young will rejoin the group once the pups have reached 5 to 6 weeks of age. The pups are weaned when they are 4 months old, but will remain with their mother until she leaves the group to give birth to her new litter. Adult males will sometimes kill juveniles, although it is unknown exactly why. If the pups can survive long enough, then they can live to be up to 14 years old.
The white-nosed coati is an endangered species in parts of the United States. In other parts, however, they are allowed to be hunted all year long. Even though it is unknown exactly how their population is faring, the general consensus is that they are decreasing in number. Hopefully, something can be done to help the white-nosed coati before it faces the threat of extinction. After all, such a unique mammal deserves to live and prosper far into the future.
Works Cited
“Nasua Narica” 4 January 2012
“White-Nosed Coati- Nasua Narica” 4 January 2012
“White-Nosed Coati” 4 January 2012
“White-Nosed Coati (Nasua Narica)” 4 January 2012