Download Nasua narica white

Nasua narica
white-nosed coati
By Jonathan Marceau
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Procyonidae
Genus: Nasua
Species: Nasua narica
Geographic Range
The white-nosed coati ranges from southeastern
Arizona through Mexico and Central America
and into western Colombia and Ecuador.
(Macdonald 1985)
Habitat
White-nosed coatis will occupy many different types of habitat, from tropical lowlands
to dry, high-altitude forests. (Macdonald 1985)
Physical Description
Mass
3 to 5 kg
(6.6 to 11 lbs)
Length
80 to 130 cm
(31.5 to 51.18 in)
Basal Metabolic Rate
The body length is 80-130 cm, over half of that being the tail. Their coat is a grayish
brown with "silver grizzling" on the sides of the arms (Macdonald 1985). The snout is
long and pointed with a flexible end. The face has a white band near the end of the nose.
There is a white spot above and below each eye as well as on each cheek. Touches of
white are also present on the underside of the throat and belly. The coati is plantigrade
with shorter forelegs than hindlegs. The feet are black and have naked soles. The
forefeet also have bent claws. The tapering tail of extreme length is covered with black
rings and held erect while walking. The coat color and muzzle markings are the only
physical characteristics dissimilar from its relatives the ringtailed coati (Nasua nasua)
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and the mountain coati (Nasuella olivacea). (Macdonald, 1985; Nowak, 1999; Parker,
1989)
Reproduction
Gestation period
78 days (average)
Birth Mass
140 g (average)
(4.93 oz)
Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
712 days (average)
Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
712 days (average)
In February or March, the most dominant male in a female band's range will be allowed
to enter it ranks, first through grooming and other submissive behaviors. Once accepted
into the group, the male will breed with each member of the band in a tree, and is soon
afterwards driven away from the group. This is because they are known to kill juveniles.
The gestation period of the white-nosed coati is 77 days. About 3 to 4 weeks before
giving birth, the female will depart the band to build a nest, most often in a palm tree.
Between 2 and 7 young are born, and remain in the nest for several weeks. They weigh
only 100-180 grams at birth and are dependent on their mother, who only leaves the
nest to find food. The newborns will open their eyes at 11 days and be weaned after 4
months. After 5 months the mother and young descend from the nest and rejoin their
group. A short time afterwards the male that mated with the band will appear for a short
time, several days in a row in order to recognize their young. Adult body sized is
reached by 15 months. Sexual maturity is reached by three years if age in males and two
years of age in females. (Macdonald 1985, Nowak 1999)
Behavior
Adult males are sometimes active at night, but coatis are primarily diurnal. Days are
spent mostly on the ground foraging, while nights are spent in treetops, sheltered from
most predation. Males live solitary lives and establish ranges that they mark by spraying
urine or dragging their abdomens on a surface and spreading anal secretions. Male
ranges do not overlap, and they will fight when they meet another male. Bands of 4-20
individuals include males up to two years of age and females, who are not necessarily
related. These groups are beneficial for many reasons, including protection of the young
from predators. Grooming and nursing comes from both the mother of the young and
other females equally. These relationships take time to develop, but once the bond is
established between members, they are loyal to each other. Band home ranges are about
1 kilometer in diameter, and are overlapped on the edges by other groups. New bands
arise from splitting of previous bands, which explains the lack of aggression between
neighboring groups. A single band's range also includes the areas of several adult males.
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Defense is accomplished using their forefeet claws and sharp canines. Individuals may
live up to 14 years of age. (Macdonald 1985,Nowak 1999)
Food Habits
White-nosed coatis are omnivores that primarily eat insects. They will travel up to 2000
meters in a single day in a quest for food. They forage by keeping their muzzle down
close to the forest floor and sniff around to find beetles, spiders, scorpions, ants,
termites, grubs, centipedes, and even land crabs. When plentiful, fruit is also eaten.
Occasionally coatis may search for small vertebrates, such as mice, lizards, and frogs.
When hunting, coatis will "force vertebrates to the ground with their paws and kill by a
bite to the head" (Parker et al. 1990). (Macdonald 1985)
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
White-nosed coatis will only occasionally cause crop damage, and rarely take small
farm animals. (Nowak 1999)
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Coatis are hunted for their meat and may also be kept as pets. Their fur has no value.
(Parker 1989)
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List:
Endangered.
This species of coati was very plentiful in the 1950s, but suffered major population
declines in the early 1960s for unknown reasons. Populations have since been
recovering and this population increase has been accompanied by a northward extension
of their range. The threats to their numbers are legal hunting by humans and several
predators including cats, boas, and large predatory birds. (Nowak 1999)
The species is rated "Lower Risk" by the IUCN. The government of Honduras has listed
its population of the species in Appendix III of CITES, placing restrictions on
international trade in their animals. (Nowak, 1999)
Contributors
Jonathan Marceau (author), University of Michigan.
Phil Myers (editor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan.
References
Macdonald, D. 1985. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File, Inc..
Nowak, R. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World. Baltimore, Maryland: The John
Hopkins University Press University Press University Press.
Parker, S. 1989. Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. Hastings-on-Hudson, New York:
The Language Service, Inc..
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2009/03/01 12:43:06.929 US/Eastern
To cite this page: Marceau, J. 2001. "Nasua narica" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web.
Accessed March 02, 2009 at
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Nasua_narica.html.
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