Impurest's guide to Animals #7 – Ring Tailed Coati

Hi guys its Issue #7 of Impurest Cheese’s Guide to Animals. Last week the Blanket Octopus drew in the crowds like no creature before it ever has. This week’s animal was requested by @laflux. Hope you guys enjoy.

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Issue #7 – Ring Tailed Coati

Kingdom – Animalia

Phylum – Chordata

Class – Mammalia

Order – Carnivoria

Family – Procyonidae

Genus – Nassu

Species – nassu

Related Species - There are four species of coati found across the genus Nassu (the lowland coatis) and the sister taxon Nassuella (the mountain coatis) (1)

Range

Forest Trickster

Coatis are medium sized mammals which grow up to 110cm long (although a good portion of that is tail) and weighs on average 2kg. The species is mostly arboreal but is adaptive enough to live in other environments when forced to leave their forest home. One of the most distinctive features of all Coati species is the pig like nose that’s houses an acute sense of smell that earned it the alternative name of the Hog Nosed Racoon.

Female Coatis live and hunt in groups with the males living solitary lives often on the edge of the foraging territory of a ‘band’ of females. While classified in the Order Carnivoria, Coatis much like their relatives the Raccoons, Dogs and Bears, are omnivorous with fruit making up a large part of their diet. While fairly aggressive in defence of their families Coati are prey themselves to predators such as Jaguars (Panthera onca) and Harpy Eagles (Harpia harpyja). In addition juveniles are sometimes taken by White Headed Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus capuchinus) as well (2)

When ready to mate all the females of a Coati band will come into heat all at once. Those which become impregnated will then leave the group for a period of time, create a breeding nest in a tree cavity and return once the pups are six weeks old and mobile enough to keep up with the band. Coatis are house trainable and the ones in captivity can be sustained on fruit and insects alone. While feeding is easy the species needs to be kept busy and requires regular vaccinations for both cat and dog diseases making it a costly pet to keep. In addition current UK legislation makes owning the species within the nation and her territories illegal. (3)

Five Fun Coati Facts

The name Coati comes from the Tupi words Cua (Belt) and tim (Nose). This name probably came from the animals habit of sleeping with its nose resting on the white band on its belly

Coatis (and a few of their relatives) are double jointed and have the ability to turn their ankles more than 180 degrees around. This comes in handy when descending down trees head first.

The resin from the Trattinickia tree is highly sought out by Coatis from Panama. They rub the material over their fur although so far the purpose of this behavior is currently unknown.

Recently a wild population of Coatis has been seen far outside their natural range in Cumbria, England. It’s assumed the animals were escaped pets that were abandoned after new legislation made their private ownership illegal (4)

While Coatis are not endangered the population of the Cozumel Island sub-species is considered 'in danger of extinction' due to human activity encroaching on their island homes.

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Bibliography

(1) – www.arkive.org

(2) - Perry S., Rose L. (1994). "Begging and transfer of coati meat by white-faced capuchin monkeys, Cebus capucinus". Primates35 (4): 409–415.

(3) - Woolas. P (2007). The Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 (Modification) (No.2) Order 2007. Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

(4) - http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/8244839.Coati_numbers_on_the_increase_in_South_Lakeland/

Picture References

[1] - http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130505081536/animalofthewould/images/0/0c/South_American_Coati.jpg

[2] - http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/naturelibrary/images/ic/464x261/s/so/south_american_coati/south_american_coati_map.gif

[3] - http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/91/91B87AC8-AC4D-4213-ADFE-A7CA18BE9469/Presentation.Large/South-American-coati-young-.jpg

[4] - http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sWx6C1w3uzU/UkhCIZUo3DI/AAAAAAAADNc/DoRh613I7mo/s400/IMG_8584.JPG

Hope you guys enjoyed the insight into this crafty creature. Drop me a comment with an animal you want explored in the next issue

@cbishop, @laflux, @iaconpoint, @ostyo, @lyrafay, @project_worm, @wildvine, @samimista,@deathstrokergeist, @delphic, @cattlebattle, @lifeboy and @yokergeist - Hi guys it's that time of the week again. :-) Hope you enjoy this weeks issue

nice :)

@laflux: Thanks

Why didn't I know about this until now?

This is actually informative, the title was misleading to me :D

@warlock360: How was the title misleading? Whatever the case thanks for reading

@xwraith: Sorry, still rather unknown on the off topic board - This link is the library of all the past issues. Hope you enjoy

@impurestcheese:
"Impurest" :D

@impurestcheese: I'll check them out.

That animal is pretty cool, I never seen anything like it. Good job!

@yokergeist: Thanks. You can credit Laflux for choosing this one

@xwraith: Hope you enjoy them

@warlock360: Ha. Of course :-)

@impurestcheese: What funny looking little critter. Looks like somebody grabbed a raccoon by it's nose and pulled really hard.

@ostyo: All the better to root around the leaf litter with. Thanks for the comment. :-)

He looks so cute!!

Another great issue by the way. Keep them coming.

@impurestcheese Really neat. I'm always surprised about how many different animals out there that I don't know about. This one sort of looks like a cross between a badger, a racoon, with a little lemur in there. I was interested to learn that Capuchin monkeys actually eat the younger ones. I always thought monkeys were herbivores.

If I might make a suggestion, perhaps next week or in the future, we could see a unique breed of Owl? I like Owls. :P

Is it super weird that for the second week in a row I've focused on the mating part of the article? I'm a freak.

@deathstrokergeist: Thanks

@project_worm: Say Chic. No you're not

@delphic: CapuchinMonkeys are omnivorous, some primates are predominantly herbivores like gibbons, orangs and gorillas but most are omnivores. So an Owl huh. I'll see what I can rustle up

@impurestcheese: *sigh of relief*

How did I never know of this?

Love this animal, looks like someone cross-bred a shrew and a red panda.

@maccyd: No idea, the link for the earlier issues are in an earlier post. Thanks for the comment. :-)

@project_worm: Just you wait for a future issue on the African Bat Bug. The species practices sexual sadism

@impurestcheese

Trey cool. I knew Pokemon were real. Heehee

To me they look more like Lemur doggies. Good article.

@samimista The lost tribe has been found!

@wildvine: Thanks. And what pokemon would the Coati be? I'm interested in hearing where this is going.

@impurestcheese:

Linoone maybe?

@wildvine: Or Furret... yes, yes I know that's a ferret but at least it has a ringed tail.

@wildvine: @project_worm: Both good matches. Maybe we'll see something when Game Freak releases the Gen VI Pokemon Games

@impurestcheese:

Gen VII. : )

@impurestcheese: VII

@wildvine: Didn't see your comment... woops!

@project_worm: @wildvine: Gah that many? It's crazy I tells ya

@impurestcheese:
Sheeeya, s'crazy

@wildvine: Uh-ha.

Hehe! I thought of @laflux right away when I saw the title. XD Never heard of coatis until he mentioned it honestly! They really are cute though! And house trainable? =O Does that mean they could be pets? 0.0

@wildvine - Hehe! =D The raccoon's cousin!

@samimista: Yes they can be house trained but they revert back to a wild state as they get older and are vulnerable to cat and dog diseases and thus need inoculations for both. Also have you guys ever heard of a Racoon Dog?

@impurestcheese:

Ooh! Poor coati. D=

Aw! That is adorable! <3 To be honest, I never seen a raccoon in person but think they're adorable. D= They're just misjudged!

@impurestcheese: Yeah I have. They can't reguritate thier food to give to thier young like Dogs though IIRC :p

I choose you, coati!

Charles the Coati is finally represented :P

@laflux: Hehe! =D All hail Charles the Coati!

@samimista: Racoon Dogs aren't really related to raccoons. They are actually dogs

@laflux: You are correct

@cattlebattle: More Pokemon

Raccoati

@impurestcheese: Woah. 0.0 Actual dogs? =O Amazing! I'd name one Tom Nook! =D

@wildvine: Did you just make up a pokemon?

@samimista: Yep. Sadly some of the fabric known as faux fur comes from Raccoon Dog pelts

It's all I got for now.

@impurestcheese:

Its a hobby of mine.

@wildvine: I know

@cattlebattle: What Happened? (She asks as Pokemon Showdown plays in the background)

I guess it could combine with a goat to make a ring tailed Goati.....

@cattlebattle: Oh okay naming Pokemon. I'd call it Nastai (Nassu and Coati mixed together) to make a Normal/Dark type

Insanity.

@cattlebattle: :-)

@impurestcheese: v____v That really is a shame. Had no idea honestly.

Do you know of ocelots? =O

Salvador Dali had one for a pet! Babou which is also Archer's ocelot. =D

@samimista: Yep. That picture is too cute