NORTHERN COATI
(Nasua narica)
Taxonomy
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Procyonidae
Genus: Nasua
Species: narica
Physical Characteristics
The northern or white-nosed coati has a body length of 30 to 55 inches long. They are identified by their long, slender, non-prehensile tail, which can grow as long as 2 feet. The northern coati stands 8 to 12 inches high at the shoulders and weighs 10 to 25 pounds. The males are twice the size of the females. Coatis have a long slender snout that projects beyond the lower jaw. Their coat is grayish brown with some silver on the sides of their arms. They have white markings on their snouts, chins, and throats. They have small round ears that are also white on the inside. The white markings on the snout extend into white rings around their eyes, which are usually marked with dark patches around the outside edges. Their tail is ringed with dark bands, which is more visible in the young than the adults. The tail is held vertically while walking. They have five toes with long claws on each foot. They have black feet which are plantigrade, and naked soles. Their forelegs are shorter than their hind legs. There are 3 other coati besides the northern coati. There is the southern or ring-tailed coati (Nasua nasua), the island coati (Nasua nelsoni), and the mountain coati (Nasuella olivacea).
Geographic Range
The northern coati is found in the southwestern
United States in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. It is found southward
throughout Mexico and Central America, including all of Panama. It
is also found in northwestern Colombia, west of the Gulf of Uraba.
The northern coati occupies many different types of wooded habitats, from
tropical lowland rainforest to dry high-altitude forests. They are
also occasionally found in deserts, savannas and rocky canyons.
Diet
The northern coati is a omnivore and may travel up to 2000 meters in a single day foraging for food. They use their nose and a good sense of smell to sniff out beatles, spiders, ants, termites, scorpions, centipedes, grubs, and land crabs. They also eat fruits, nuts, eggs, mice, lizards, and frogs. In zoos, they are given beef dog food supplemented with vitamins and minerals. They are also given fruits, vegetables, crickets, mealworms, milk, and bread.
Social Organization
The northern coati is primarily diurnal, but some adult males may be active at night. During the day, most of their time is spent foraging on the ground. At night they remain in the safety of the treetops away from most predators. Adult males are solitary, extremely territorial, and have home ranges that are small and do not overlap. They use anal scent gland, urine, and feces to mark their territory. The rest of their social structure is made up of female-bonded groups called bands. Bands of 4 to 20 members may include males under 2 years of age and females of all ages. Coatis are extremely vocal and will chatter to each other while traveling. Band home ranges are around 1 kilometer and overlap at the edges with other groups. A single band’s home range will include the ranges of several adult males.
Reproduction
In February or March a female band will allow the most dominant male in their home range to join their group. Breeding takes place in the trees and once the male is done he is forced to leave. The gestation period varies from 70 to 77 days. Pregnant females will leave the band before giving birth to build a nest in a tree or a den site, usually in a rocky niche of a wooded canyon. Coatis give birth in April or early May. They have 2 to 7 young in a litter. At birth they weight only 100 - 180 grams. Their eyes will open at 11 days and will be weaned at 4 months. The mother and her young will rejoin their band after 5 months. The young will be full grown at 15 months. Males reach sexually maturity at 3 years and females at 2 years. In the wild coatis live up to 7 years and in captivity they live up to 14 years.
Predators
The northern coati’s main predators are large cats such as pumas and jaguars. They are also killed by large hawks, eagles, snakes, crocodiles, and some monkeys. Adult male coatis have been known to occasionally kill juvenile coatis.
Conservation Status
The northern coati is listed by the IUCN as
endangered. It is also listed under CITES Appendix III. The
main threats to the coati population is hunting by humans and the pet trade.
For more information contact Small Carnivore TAG Education Liaison
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