South American coati
This coati lives at Jimmy's Farm in Suffolk.
The South American coati is a member of the raccoon family. They are also known as, ring-tailed coati and coatimundis, from the Tupian languages of Brazil, which means 'lone coati'. Locally in Belize, the animal is known as 'quash'.
They are found in tropical and subtropical South America ranging from Colombia and The Guyanas south to Uruguay and northern Argentina. They typically live in the evergreen rainforest, cloud forest, deciduous rainforest, riverine gallery forest, and dry scrub forest.
An adult generally weighs from 4.4 to 15.9 lb. (2 to 7.2 kg) and is 33 to 44 in. (85 to 113 cm) long, with half of that being its tail. They vary in colour and can be grey, brown, red, and whitish. The snout is elongated and dark. The tail is black to brown in colour and has yellow rings which in some individuals may be only slightly visible
They are omnivorous and primarily eat fruit, invertebrates, small animals, and bird eggs. Their diet includes larval beetles, centipedes, scorpions, spiders, ants, lizards, termites, rodents, chickens, and even carrion when it is available. When foraging, they search for fruit in trees high in the canopy, and when on the ground use their snouts to search crevices to find prey. They also search for prey by turning over rocks or ripping open logs with their claws.
South American coatis are active during the day, and they live both on the ground and in trees. Females typically live in large groups, called bands, consisting of 15 to 30 animals. Males, however, are usually solitary. Neither bands of females nor solitary males defend a unique territory, and territories therefore overlap.
Coatis communicate with the help of soft whining sounds and alarm calls that sound as loud woofs and clicks. When an alarm call is sounded, coatis typically climb trees, and then drop down to the ground and disperse.
The breeding season is from October to March when fruits in season, but varies with location. The gestation period lasts around 77 days, and females give birth to 2 to 4 kits which are raised in a nest in the trees for 4 to 6 weeks. During this time the female leaves her group and stay with her newborn young until they are able to walk and climb. At 4 months kits will be weaned and will start eating solid food. Young females tend to remain with the group they were born into but males generally disperse from their mothers' group after 3 years. A kit can expect to have a lifespan of 7 to 14 years.
Predators of the South American coati include foxes, jaguars, and jaguarundis. Their main threats include hunting for meat and habitat loss through deforestation.
The IUCN Red List and other sources do not provide a total population size for the South American coati. Currently the species is classified as 'Least Concern' but its numbers are decreasing.
South American coati
This coati lives at Jimmy's Farm in Suffolk.
The South American coati is a member of the raccoon family. They are also known as, ring-tailed coati and coatimundis, from the Tupian languages of Brazil, which means 'lone coati'. Locally in Belize, the animal is known as 'quash'.
They are found in tropical and subtropical South America ranging from Colombia and The Guyanas south to Uruguay and northern Argentina. They typically live in the evergreen rainforest, cloud forest, deciduous rainforest, riverine gallery forest, and dry scrub forest.
An adult generally weighs from 4.4 to 15.9 lb. (2 to 7.2 kg) and is 33 to 44 in. (85 to 113 cm) long, with half of that being its tail. They vary in colour and can be grey, brown, red, and whitish. The snout is elongated and dark. The tail is black to brown in colour and has yellow rings which in some individuals may be only slightly visible
They are omnivorous and primarily eat fruit, invertebrates, small animals, and bird eggs. Their diet includes larval beetles, centipedes, scorpions, spiders, ants, lizards, termites, rodents, chickens, and even carrion when it is available. When foraging, they search for fruit in trees high in the canopy, and when on the ground use their snouts to search crevices to find prey. They also search for prey by turning over rocks or ripping open logs with their claws.
South American coatis are active during the day, and they live both on the ground and in trees. Females typically live in large groups, called bands, consisting of 15 to 30 animals. Males, however, are usually solitary. Neither bands of females nor solitary males defend a unique territory, and territories therefore overlap.
Coatis communicate with the help of soft whining sounds and alarm calls that sound as loud woofs and clicks. When an alarm call is sounded, coatis typically climb trees, and then drop down to the ground and disperse.
The breeding season is from October to March when fruits in season, but varies with location. The gestation period lasts around 77 days, and females give birth to 2 to 4 kits which are raised in a nest in the trees for 4 to 6 weeks. During this time the female leaves her group and stay with her newborn young until they are able to walk and climb. At 4 months kits will be weaned and will start eating solid food. Young females tend to remain with the group they were born into but males generally disperse from their mothers' group after 3 years. A kit can expect to have a lifespan of 7 to 14 years.
Predators of the South American coati include foxes, jaguars, and jaguarundis. Their main threats include hunting for meat and habitat loss through deforestation.
The IUCN Red List and other sources do not provide a total population size for the South American coati. Currently the species is classified as 'Least Concern' but its numbers are decreasing.