South American Coati (Nasua nasua) lives in tropical rainforest across South America. It feeds on insects and fruit. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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A real field recording of the South American Coati, made in the wild.
Weighs as little as 4.4 lb yet stretches up to a foot-long body, half of which is a balancing tail. An adult generally weighs from 2-7.2 kg (4.4-15.9 lb) and is 85-113 cm (33-44 in) long, with half of that being its tail. Adults measure 41 to 67 cm from head to the base of the tail, with the tail adding an additional 32 to 69 cm to their length, and they stand about 30 cm tall at the shoulder. This compact size lets coatis slip through tight branches and under logs, expanding their foraging reach in dense forest.
Climbs up to 8,200 ft. It occurs in the lowland forests east of the Andes as high as 2,500 m (8,200 ft) from Colombia and The Guianas south to Uruguay and northern Argentina. Nasua nasua occupancy is significantly and negatively related to elevation but positively related to forest cover. The species is also found up to 2500 meters in elevation on both eastern and western slopes of the Andes. This altitude limit shows how forest loss at higher elevations can shrink its usable habitat.
Bands of 15-30 females roam together while lone males wander solo, a split that once fooled scientists into naming two species. Females typically live in large groups, called bands, consisting of 15 to 30 animals. Males are usually solitary. Neither bands of females nor solitary males defend a unique territory, and territories therefore overlap. This allows males to seek multiple mates across overlapping ranges.
All females heat up together when fruit ripens, then each carries a 74 to 77-day pregnancy that can yield up to seven kits. All females in a group come into heat simultaneously when fruit is in season and mate with several males. The gestation period is 74 to 77 days. Captive females give birth to 1-7 young at a time. In the wild, females give birth to litters of 3 to 7 young 74 to 77 days after mating.
Banned from the entire EU since 2016, the coati can no longer be imported, bred, or released, yet it still thrives on Mallorca as an invasive pest. In the European Union, the South American coati has been included in the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern since 2016. This means that this species cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, or intentionally released into the environment in the entire EU.
Sources
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In the sun-dappled forests of South America, the coati roams with a curious abandon, its bushy tail twitching like a metronome as it snuffles out a trail of hidden delights. With a fluid, almost feline gait, it pads through the underbrush, its large eyes drinking in the surroundings with an air of perpetual wonder, as if every rock and every tree holds a secret waiting to be unearthed. As it forages, the coati's dexterous hands dance across the forest floor, uncovering a world of insect and fruit treasures that lie just beyond the reach of its more lumbering counterparts.
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