Coati
Nasua and Nasuella spp
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Coatis are South American relatives of the North American raccoon. They have a narrow head with a long snout and a long tapering tail. Their colouration varies from bright red/orange to completely black. Coatis can be seen searching the forest floor for animal life or high in the canopy eating fruit. Males are solitary, but females travel in groups sharing maternal duties. When a coati signals danger, all the members run part way up trees to look around then drop to the ground and quickly flee. They are diurnal, sleeping at night in the tree tops. They have some pressure on their populations from hunting and the pet trade but remain common in most areas.
