Nasua nasua (Linnaeus, 1766)

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Experiments on captive coatis indicate cognitive skills of shape differentiation and shape recognition. Initially, confusion over solitary males led to designation of a separate species. Other common names are the ring-tailed coati, the brown-nosed coati, the southern coati, and the South American coati. Coatis are also referred to in some texts as coatimundis. The name coati or coatimundi is Tupian Indian in origin. The prefix "coati" means “belt”, and "Tim" means “nose” referring to the way the coatis tuck their noses under their bellies to sleep. The name Nasua is Latin for “nose”, possibly for the same reason. (Marwell Zoological Park, 1996; Emmons, 1997; Gompper, 1998)

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Sierra Madre Occidental Pine-oak Forests Habitat:

This taxon is found in the Sierra Madre Occidental pine-oak forests ecoregion, which boasts some of the richest biodiversity anywhere in North America, and contains about two thirds of the standing timber in Mexico. Twenty-three different species of pine and about 200 species of oak reside within the Sierra Madre Occidental pine-oak forests ecoregion.

Pine-oak forests here typically grow on elevations between approximately 1500 and 3300 meters, and occur as isolated habitat islands in northern areas within the Chihuahuan Desert. Soils are typically deep, where the incline allows soil build-up and derived from igneous material, although metamorphic rocks also form part of the soils in the west and northwest portions of the sierra. Steep-sloped mountains have shaped some portions of the Sierra, while others are dominated by their deep valleys, tall canyons and cliffs. These steep-sided cliffs have thinner soils limiting vegetation to chaparral types; characterized by dense clumps of Mexican Manzanita (Arctostaphylos pungens), Quercus potosina and Netleaf Oak (Q. rugosa). There are also zones of natural pasture, with grasses from the genera Arisitida, Panicum, Bromus and Stevis.

The pine-oak forests gradually transform into an oak-grassland vegetative association. Such communities represent an ecological transition between pine-oak forests and desert grasslands..  Here, species such as Chihuahuan Oak (Quercus chihuahuensis), Shin Oak (Q. grisea),  Q. striatula and Emory Oak (Q. emoryi), mark a transition zone between temperate and arid environments, growing in a sparse fashion and with a well-developed herbaceous stratum resembling xeric scrub. Cacti are also part of these transition communities extending well into the woodlands. Some cacti species such as the Little Nipple Cactus (Mammillaria heyderi macdougalii), Greenflower Nipple Cactus (M. viridiflora), Mojave Mound Cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus), and Leding's Hedgehog Cactus (E. fendleri var. ledingii) are chiefly centered in these biotic communities. The dominant vegetation in the northernmost part of the ecoregion in the Madrean Sky Islands includes Chihuahua Pine (Pinus leiophylla), Mexican Pinyon (P. cembroides), Arizona Pine (P. arizonica), Silverleaf Oak (Quercus hypoleucoides), Arizona White Oak (Q. arizonica), Emory Oak (Q. emoryi), Netleaf Oak (Q. rugosa), Alligator Juniper (Juniperus deppeana), and Mexican Manzanita (Arctostaphylos pungens).

This ecoregion is an important area for bird richness and bird endemism. Likewise, virtually all of the ecoregion is included in the Sierra Madre Occidental and trans-mexican range Endemic Bird Area. Endemic bird species include the Thick-billed Parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha EN) which is in danger of extinction, with population estimates as low as 500 pairs; the Tufted Jay (Cyanocorax dickeyi NT), Eared Quetzal (Euptilptis neoxenus NT) and the Green-striped Brush Finch (Buarremon virenticeps). Temperate and tropical influences converge in this ecoregion, forming a unique and rich complex of flora and fauna. Many other birds are found in this ecoregion including the Green Parakeet (Aratinga holochlora), Eared Trogon (Euptilotis neoxenus NT), Coppery-tailed Trogon (Trogon elegans), Grey-breasted Jay (Aphelocoma ultramarina), Violet-crowned Hummingbird (Amazilia violiceps), Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis NT), and Golden Eagle (Aguila chryaetos).  Some species found only in higher montane areas are the Gould's Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo mexicana), Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata), Mexican Chickadee (Poecile sclateri) and Hepatic Tanager (Piranga flava).

The Sierra Madre Mantled Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus madrensis NT) is an endemic to the Sierra Madre Occidental pine-oak forests, restricted to southwestern Chihuahua, Mexico. The Mexican Gray Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) and Mexican Grizzly Bear (Ursus horribilis), although considered by most to be extinct from this ecoregion, once roamed these mountains. Mammals also present include White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), American Black Bear (Ursus americanus), Buller’s Chipmunk (Tamias bulleri), endemic Zacatecan Deer Mouse (Peromyscus difficilis), rock Squirrel (Spernophilis variegatus), Zacatecas Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys zacatecae) and Coati (Nasua nasua), to set forth a subset of mammals present.

Reptiles are also numerous in this ecoregion. Fox´s Mountain Meadow Snake (Adelophis foxi) is an endemic taxon to the ecoregion, only observed at the type locality at four kilometers east of  Mil Diez, about  3.2 kilometers west of El Salto, in southwestern Durango, Mexico. There are at least six species of rattlesnakes including the Mexican Dusky Rattlesnake (Crotalis triseriatus), Mojave Rattlesnake (C. scutulatus), Rock Rattlesnake (C. lepidus), Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (C. atrox), Twin-spotted Rattlesnake (C. pricei), and Ridgenose Rattlesnakes (C. willardi).  Clark's Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus clarkii) and Yarrow's Spiny Lizard (S. jarrovii), Bunchgrass Lizard (S. scalaris), and Striped Plateau Lizard (S. virgatus) are several of the lizards found in the Sierra Madre Occidental pine-oak forests.

Along springs and streams the Western Barking Frog (Craugastor augusti) and the Tarahumara Frog (Rana tamahumarae) are two anuran taxa occurring in the ecoregion. Other anuran taxa found here include: Bigfoot Leopard Frog (Lithobates megapoda), Northwest Mexico Leopard Frog (Lithobates magnaocularis) and the Blunt-toed Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus modestus VU). The Sacramento Mountains Salamander (Aneides hardii) is an endemic salamander found in the Sierra Madre Occidental pine-oak forests, restricted to the Sacramento Mountains, Capitan Mountains, and Sierra Blanca in Lincoln and Otero Counties within southern New Mexico, USA.

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Known predators:

Nasua nasua is prey of:
Boidae
Panthera onca
Leopardus pardalis
Herpailurus yaguarondi
Puma concolor
Falconiformes

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

  • Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed February 16, 2011 at http://animaldiversity.org. http://www.animaldiversity.org
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Rights holder/AuthorCynthia Sims Parr, Joel Sachs, SPIRE
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South American coati:

The South American coati, or ring-tailed coati (Nasua nasua), is a species of coati from tropical and subtropical South America. In Brazilian Portuguese it is known as quati. First discovered by the explorer Sir Brian Doll in the late 1800s, while mapping an uncharted section of Brazilian rainforest. Weight in this species is 2–7.2 kg (4.4–15.9 lb) and total length is 85–113 cm (33–44 in), half of that being its tail.[3] Its color is highly variable and the rings on the tail may be quite weak, but it lacks the largely white muzzle ("nose") of its northern cousin, the white-nosed coati.[3]



Distribution[edit]

The South American coati is widespread in tropical and substropical South America. Most of its distribution is in the lowlands east of the Andes (locally, it occurs as high as 2,500 m or 8,200 ft), from Colombia and The Guianas south to Uruguay and northern Argentina (Chile is the only South American country where the species is not found).[2][3]

The status of coatis west of the Andes has caused some confusion,[4] but specimen records from west Ecuador, and north and west Colombia are South American coatis.[5][6] The only documented records of white-nosed coatis in South America are from far northwestern Colombia (Gulf of Urabá region, near Colombian border with Panama).[5][6] The smaller mountain coatis are mainly found at altitudes above the South American coati, but there is considerable overlap.[7]

Behavior[edit]


South American coatis are variable in color and can be orange-red[3]

South American coatis are diurnal animals, and they live both on the ground and in trees.[8] They typically live in the forest.[9] They are omnivorous and primarily eat fruit, invertebrates, other small animals and bird eggs.[8] Coatis search for fruit in trees high in the canopy, and use their snouts to poke through crevices to find animal prey on the ground.[8] They also search for animal prey by turning over rocks on the ground or ripping open logs with their claws.[8]

Females typically live in large groups, called bands, consisting of 15 to 30 animals.[8][9] Males, on the other hand, are usually solitary.[9] Solitary males were originally considered a separate species due to the different social habits and were called "coatimundis",[9] a term still sometimes used today. Neither bands of females nor solitary males defend a unique territory, and territories therefore overlap.[9]

Group members produce soft whining sounds, but alarm calls are different, consisting of loud woofs and clicks.[8] When an alarm call is sounded, the coatis typically climb trees, and then drop down to the ground and disperse.[8] Coatis typically sleep in the trees.[8] Predators of the South American coati include foxes, jaguars, jaguarundis, domestic dogs, and people.[10]

Reproduction[edit]

All females in a group come into heat simultaneously when fruit is in season.[9] Females mate with multiple males.[9]Gestation period is 77 days.[9] Females give birth to 2–4 young at a time, which are raised in a nest in the trees for 4–6 weeks.[8][9] Females leave the group during this time.[8][9] Females tend to remain with the group they were born in but males generally disperse from their mothers' group after 3 years.[9]

Other[edit]

South American coatis generally live for up to 7 years in the wild, but can live up to 14 years in captivity.[9]

Subspecies[edit]

The South American coati has 13 recognized subspecies:[1]

References[edit]

Wikispecies has information related to: Nasua nasua
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nasua nasua.
  1. ^ a b Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. 
  2. ^ a b Duckworth, J.W. & Schipper, J. (2008). Nasua nasua. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d Kays, R. (2009). South American Coati (Nasua nasua), pp. 526-528 in: Wilson, D. E., and R. A. Mittermeier, eds. (2009). Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Vol. 1, Carnivores. ISBN978-84-96553-49-1
  4. ^ Eisenberg, J., and K. H. Redford (1999). Mammals of the Neotropcs: The Central Neotropics. Vol. 3, p. 288. ISBN 0-226-19541-4
  5. ^ a b Decker, D. M. (1991). Systematics Of The Coatis, Genus Nasua (Mammalia, Procyonidae). Proceedings of The Biological Society of Washington 104: 370-386
  6. ^ a b Guzman-Lenis, A. R. (2004). Preliminary Review of the Procyonidae in Colombia. Acta Biológica Colombiana 9(1): 69-76
  7. ^ Helgen, K. M., R. Kays, L. E. Helgen, M. T. N. Tsuchiya-Jerep, C. M. Pinto, K. P. Koepfli, E. Eizirik, and J. E. Maldonado (2009). Taxonomic boundaries and geographic distributions revealed by an integrative systematic overview of the mountain coatis, Nasuella (Carnivora: Procyonidae). Small Carnivore Conservation 41: 65–74.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Emmons, Louise (1997). Neotropical Rainforest Mammals, A Field Guide, 2nd Edition. pp. 153–154. ISBN 0-226-20721-8. 
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "BBC Ring-tailed Coati". Retrieved 2007-07-13. 
  10. ^ "Southern Coati". Retrieved 2007-07-13. 
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Known prey organisms:

Nasua nasua preys on:
Arthropoda
Insecta
Reptilia
Aves
Mammalia
Paleosuchus trigonatus

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

  • Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed February 16, 2011 at http://animaldiversity.org. http://www.animaldiversity.org
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorCynthia Sims Parr, Joel Sachs, SPIRE
Sourcehttp://spire.umbc.edu/fwc/

Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical

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Sourcehttp://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Nasua_nasua/

See Reproduction.

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One captive coati was reported to be still alive after 17 years and 8 months. In the wild, coatis only live for about 7 to 8 years (Nowak, 1991; Kasalinkas,1999).

Range lifespan
Status: wild: 7 to 8 years.

Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 17.5 (high) years.

Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 17.7 years.

Average lifespan
Status: wild: 14.0 years.

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Habitat and Ecology:

Habitat and Ecology

The species is an occupant of forested habitat. It has been reported from multistratal deciduous and evergreen rainforest, riverine gallery forest, xeric chaco, cerrado and dry scrub forest (Brooks, 1993; Emmons, 1990; Handley, 1976; Mondolfi, 1976; Schaller, 1983). It is found over a wide altitudinal range, with Andean individuals found at elevations up to 2,500 m (Lnnberg, 1921). Nasua nasua is omnivorous, eating predominantly invertebrates and fruit (Gompper and Decker, 1998). The consumption of vertebrates has been noted, but is never common (Beisiegel, 2001; Bisbal, 1986; Gompper, 1996; Kaufmann, 1962; Russell, 1982; Schaller, 1983). It is essentially diurnal in its activities. Adult males are solitary, while females and immature males travel in groups up to 30 individuals (Crespo, 1982; Emmons, 1990; Schaller, 1983).

Systems

  • Terrestrial
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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing:

Maximum longevity: 23.7 years (captivity) Observations: One wild born specimen was about 23.7 years old when it died in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005).

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Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith