Where does the South American coati live?
The South American coati lives in tropical and subtropical South America. It occurs in the lowland forests east of the Andes as high as 2,500 m, from Colombia and the Guianas south to Uruguay and northern Argentina. It is diurnal, and lives both on the ground and in trees. It is recognisable by its long, mobile snout, dark legs and bushy ringed tail.
What does the South American coati eat?
The coati is omnivorous, but mainly eats fruit, invertebrates, other small animals and bird eggs. It lives in well-organised matriarchal groups, while adult males lead solitary lives. Its colour is highly variable, and the rings on the tail may be only somewhat visible. It is most distinguished from its northern relative, the white-nosed coati, by lacking the largely white snout.
Is the South American coati endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern. It is a member of the raccoon family. An adult generally weighs 2 to 7.2 kg and is 85 to 113 cm long, with half of that being its tail.
