Coati
Mammals
Some Endangered
facts
description
description
What is it?
It has a ringed tail, but it isn't a raccoon. It has a long tail and climbs trees with ease, but it isn't a monkey. It has a tough, bendable snout, but it isn't a pig. This active, highly social, intelligent, and curious mammal is a coati, found in rainforests, cloud forests, and grasslands from South America to Mexico—and a few live in the Southwestern United States.
Branching out
Coatis are great tree climbers. Their long front claws can dig in and keep them secure when they're climbing up the tallest tree trunks. Coatis can move their long tail to balance themselves as they travel along narrow branches. When it's time to get back on the ground, the reverse joints on their ankles allow them to quickly and safely climb down a tree headfirst.
Watching the kits
Adult female coatis and their offspring live together in groups, with as few as 4 or as many as 24. Males live alone, except during the short mating season when they hang out with females. A mother coati gives birth to three to seven babies—called kits—and bonds with them alone for six weeks, then they all return to the group.
