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1. White-nosed coati (Nasua narica).
2. The geographic range of the white-nosed coati is typically across Central and South America (Mehrkens, Shender & Yabsley, 2013). They are very commonly found in Mexico and Costa Rica. There are a few different habitats that these animals live in and the most common is tropical dry forest, but they also reside in semideciduous forests and arroyo forests, which are more humid. Humid habitats are preferred during the dry season due to the limited water availability (Valenzuela & Ceballos, 2000).
3. White-nosed coatis are medium sized animals that are approximately 66 centimeters in length, depending on each individual. Their tails are nearly as long as their body and they are used for balance, which is why they are almost always erect. White-nosed coatis weigh about 3-6 kilograms (6.5-13 pounds) and they are known to have an average lifespan of 7 years in the wild and 14 years under human care (“White-nosed coati”, n.d.).
4. White-nosed coatis diet consists of 85.11% fruits and arthropods. The availability of this food is highly dependent on the season, however. During the wet season, arthropods are the most prominent food source, while after the dry season, fruit is the most prominent source. It was found that the coatis located in the western coast of Mexico consumed predominantly fruit, which made up 46.05% of their diet, while arthropods only made up 39.07% of their diet. Depending on the specific location of the species, they may consume more or less fruit and/or arthropods; however, those are the primary, and sometimes their only, food sources. This has been documented in Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States (specifically Arizona), where fruit and arthropods made up 100%, 97%, 88.1%, and 97.5% of the coatis’ diet respectively. However, it has also been recorded that vertebrate species make up 10% of the coatis’ diet during the wet season and 20% during the dry season (Valenzuela-Galvan, 1998).
5. The reproductive season for white-nosed coatis is not very long (Valenzuela & Ceballos, 2000). It occurs when fruit is most abundant and there is less competition for it. The gestational period is 10 to 11 weeks and each litter contains two to seven young. The young are typically weaned at four months and they reach adult size at 15 months. The females live in bands (groups) with their young, which also includes males up to two years of age. Adult male coatis live on their own until breeding season when they find a band of females to try and mate with (“White-nosed coati”, n.d.). White-nosed coatis use different vocalizations as a form of communication. They make audibly distinct calls in different contexts that range from friendly to predator encounters. These are called chirp calls and range in frequency, but are usually high pitched, and are short. A study showed that 74% of chirp calls recorded were made while the coatis were moving around, foraging, and in relaxed conditions. 23% of the calls were made in response to unusual objects or people, which would be considered potentially dangerous conditions. Lastly, 3% of the chirp calls were made before an aggressive encounter and were immediately followed by squawks, which sound louder and more aggressive (Compton et al., 2001).
6. White-nosed coatis do have predators in the wild and they are typically pumas and jaguars which account for 50% of their mortality (Hass & Valenzuela, 2002). For pumas, white-nosed coatis are their second main prey, with nine-banded armadillos being the first. Coatis have the second highest energy content and the highest relative abundance index (RAI), which is simply their abundance in the environment (Gomez-Ortiz & Monroy-Vilchis, 2013). Other known predators of the coatis include ocelots, boa constrictors, hawks, golden eagles, and capuchins (Hass & Valenzuela, 2002).
7. White-nosed coatis are of the least concern on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. They are under the protection of CITES Appendix III by Honduras and are on the endangered species list in New Mexico, so they are offered protection. The main threat to these animals is habitat loss and human hunting. They are hunted for their meat and pelts and are sometimes killed accidently by traps set up by hunters for other animals. In the 1960s, the white-nosed coatis suffered a major population decline, but have since recovered and have expanded their geographical range to the U.S. since the 20th century and continue to thrive (“White-nosed coati”, n.d.).

8. Did you know that white-nosed coatis have the ability to rotate their ankles 180 degrees, so their back feet face sideways. This allows them to hold onto the tree trunk as they slide down headfirst (Markovics, 2013).
    
   References
   Compton LA, Clarke JA, Seidensticker J, Ingrisano DR. 2001. Acoustic characteristics of white-nosed coati vocalizations: A test of motivation – structural rules. Journal of Mammalogy, 82(4):1054-1058. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1644/1545-1542(2001)0821054:ACOWNC2.0.CO;2

Gomez-Ortiz Y, Monroy-Vilchis O. 2013. Feeding ecology of puma Puma concolor in Mexican montane forests with comments about jaguar Panthera onca. Wildlife Biology, 19(2):179-187. Doi: https://doi.org/10.2981/12-092

Hass, CC, Valenzuela D. 2002. Anti-predator benefits of group living in white-nosed coatis (Nasua narica). D. Behav Ecol Sociobiol, 51(6):570-578. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-002-0463-5

Markovics, J. (2013). White-Nosed Coati: Racoon’s Cousin. New York, NY: Bearport Publishing Company, Inc.

Mehrkens LR, Shender LA, Yabsley MJ, et al. 2013. White-nosed coatis (Nasua narica) are a potential reservoir of Trypanosoma cruzi and other potentially zoonotic pathogens in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 49(4):1014-1018. Doi: https://doi.org/10.7589/2013-01-005

Valenzuela D, Ceballos G. 2000. Habitat selection, home range, and activity of the white-nosed coati (Nasua narica) in a Mexican tropical dry forest. Journal of Mammalogy, 81(3):810-819. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1644/1545-1542(2000)0810810:HSHRAA2.3.CO;2

Valenzuela-Galvan D. 1998. Natural history of the white-nosed coati, Nasua narica, in a tropical dry forest of western Mexico. Research Gate, 3. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/David_Valenzuela-Galvan/publication/228976894_Natural_history_of_the_white-nosed_coati_Nasua_narica_in_a_tropical_dry_forest_of_western_Mexico/links/02bfe513038e746458000000.pdf

“White-nosed coati”. (n.d.). Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. Retrieved from https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/white-nosed-coati

Date is approximate. 3 individuals (2 males & 1 female) seen sometime in April, 1987. My mother and father (@dmpeterson ) were living in Monteverde in the spring of 1987, staying with the Gavin family. I have been digitizing their old slides, and thought these ones were significant, so I uploaded them. The date and location are approximate, based on their best recollection.

Roadkill, feline. Specie no recognized on site.
First reported today at 6h00 local time.
Near this location other reports have been summited.

Reporte de felino atropellado.
Encontrado hoy 2024-05-14 06h00.
Probablemente atropellado en horas de la noche.