Coatimundi, White-Nosed Coatimundi, Pizote, Antoon, Tejón
The White-nosed coati (Nasua narica) is a species of coati and a member of the family Procyonidae (raccoons and their relatives). Local Spanish names for this animal include pizote, Mexican Bin-dog',antoon, and tejón, depending upon the region.
Coatis have small ears, dark feet, and a long non-prehensile tail used for balance and signaling. The most outstanding feature of these animals is perhaps their long, pointed snout. Around their nose, their face has many sensory receptors which give coatis an extremely good sense of smell. Many muscles here allow great flexibility to the tip of their snout, which they use to poke into crevices, seeking prey. A coati curls its snout above the water’s surface in an amazing way when drinking. Coatis have bear- and raccoon-like paws and walk plantigrade like raccoons and bears (on the soles of the feet, as do humans). Coatis have nonretractable claws. Coatis also are able to rotate their ankles beyond 180°, in common with raccoons and other procyonids (and others in the order Carnivora and rare cases among other mammals); they are therefore able to descend trees head first.
The White-nosed coati lives in the very southeast of Arizona, in the extreme southwest of New Mexico, in Texas in the southwest, in Central America, Mexico, and South America (Colombia). They occupy a wide range of habitat types, from dry high-altitude forests to tropical lowlands.
Extremely social, these animals live in groups called bands or troops, numbering 3-20 members or sometimes more. Groups mostly contain related adult females with their young and disperse as pregnant females prepare for giving birth in early summer. The group reunites two to three weeks after the births. Each group maintains a loose territory, which may overlap with those of other troops. When troops so meet, members will greet one another by grunting, squealing, and sniffing. Occasionally members will change troops. The males leave their troop at adulthood (at two years old) remain solitary, and will only interact with a troop during a short mating season. Only one male is allowed into a troop at a time, and if another male approaches at the same time, fierce fights between the males will usually ensue. Unlike most raccoon family members, coatis are active during the day, though adults sometimes rest in the shade when it is too hot. During the night they sleep amongst treetop branches and leaves, spending most of the day seeking food, grooming, and resting. Coatis communicate through chirping, grunting, or snorting, to display intentions or moods.
White-nosed coatis are omnivorous and primarily eat insects, but also frogs, small rodents, fruit, and lizards.
White-nosed coatis are thought to be polygynous. From February until March, the male most dominant in a female troop’s range will be permitted to enter the ranks, after taking part in grooming and other behaviors that are submissive. Once the group accepts him, he will mate with all the members of the troop, but soon afterwards is driven away, as adult males can kill juveniles. Gestation is for 77 days. Around 3 to 4 weeks prior to birthing, females depart the troop to construct a nest, usually in a palm tree. 2 to 7 young are born, remaining for several weeks in the nest. They depend on their mother, and she will only leave the nest to seek food. The newborns open their eyes when they are 11 days old and are weaned after 4 months. The mother and young at 5 months descend from the nest to rejoin their group. By 15 months young reach adult size. Reproductive maturity is gained by males when they are 3 years old and females by 2 years old.
White-nosed coatis are threatened by extensive habitat loss and also hunting, in some areas. They are hunted for their skin and for food. In the United States occasionally coatis are caught in traps intended for other species or killed by hunters who are ostensibly hunting other species or are victims of 'predator' control campaigns.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the WHite-nosed coati total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
White-nosed coatis are known pollinators of the balsa tree, as observed in a study of a white-nosed coati population in Costa Rica. Coatis were observed inserting their noses into the flowers of the tree and ingesting nectar, while the flower showed no subsequent signs of damage. Pollen from the flowers covers the face of the coati following feeding and disseminates through the surrounding forest following detachment. Scientists observed a dependent relationship between the balsa tree, which provides a critical resource of hydration and nutrition to the White-nosed coati when environmental resources are scarce, and the coati, which increases the proliferation of the tree through pollination.