One of the most iconic animals inhabiting our Sky Islands is the white-nosed coati – Nasua narica. If you are a local resident or longtime visitor, then perhaps you’ve managed a glance of these seemingly strange beasts. Coatis can be a bit of a mystery to those unschooled in its biology or to individuals colorfully misinformed by others. There is, incidentally, a second species in the same genus – the South American coati. The white-nosed coati is often referred to simply as coati and sometimes as coatimundi. The latter moniker more properly indicates a lone male coati.
Coatis are here because of our proximity to the lofty Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico. This massif meanders to just south of our border, lending us such otherwise tropical species as elegant trogon, jaguar, and the coati. The range of this fascinating species extends from the Mogollon Rim in Arizona all the way down to northern Colombia.
The family Procyonidae in the U.S. includes the familiar northern raccoon, white-nosed coati, and the ringtail. Our raccoon is a nimble-fingered, nocturnal, slow-ambling, and tree-climbing procyonid. The white-nosed coati is a long-clawed, mostly diurnal, medium-paced, tree-climbing relative. Upon inspection coatis look a bit like a stream-lined raccoon, as evidenced by their facial mask and the rings on the tail.
Often the only thing you’ll see of these neotropical omnivores is their tails, held straight up as they forage in local forests. While not completely reclusive, coatis certainly readily retire from the noise and other disturbances normally attending humans. If, however, you are able to artfully infiltrate the space of a lone male or a troop of coatis, then you may be in for a special treat.
On a number of occasions over the years I have done just this. Camera in hand, I’ve recorded the natural behavior of this unique species. I have watched coatis foraging up in netleaf hackberry trees, whose orange-coated fruit they greedily devour. In fact, looking at the stout, horizontal limbs of this tree, it’s easy to envision how these trees evolved to accommodate fruit-eating mammalian carnivores such as coatis and the common gray fox.
Being the consummate omnivore, coatis will eat just about anything they can find and take down, including other fruits, mesquite pods, invertebrates, and small vertebrates. Their scat often reflects this wide-ranging diet. I have also watched large – about 22 pounds – coatimundis come scampering in to my vocal imitations of a wounded rabbit, as they searched in vain for a free meal.
As for social dynamics, adult females and young of all ages generally travel in troops, which exclude males for all but the breeding season. Coati troop size varies from a few individuals to over 20. The largest one I’ve witnessed was an eye-opener, as there were 32 of these cute critters traveling amongst giant saguaros! Adult males are allowed in the troops during breeding season.
Interestingly, our coatis were first documented in Arizona in 1892, despite being a mostly diurnal mammal. Perhaps over-hunting or even the frigid temperatures of the “little ice age” led to their decline, after which they rebounded. Conversely, they like many Arizonans – may be relative newcomers to the state drawn in by a warming climate. Either way, let’s appreciate these tropical troubadours as they are only found here, in southern New Mexico, and in southern Texas within the U.S. In particular, please drive slowly on Route 82, as far too many Coatis unceremoniously die from vehicular traffic. Let’s celebrate our Sky Islands biodiversity!
Vincent Pinto and his wife, Claudia, run RAVENS-WAY WILD JOURNEYS, their Nature Adventure & Conservation organization devoted to protecting the unique biodiversity of the Sky Islands region. Visit: www.ravensnatureschool.org