COATIS
COATIMUNDIS
COATIMUNDIS
| Photos by Lucy Gallagher and David Nuñez, text by David Nuñez |
| Al igual que con sus primos los mapaches, tenemos una especie Peninsular, el Coatí de Nariz Blanca (Nasua narica) y una versión isleña más pequeña, el Coatí Cozumeleño (Nasua nelsoni), aunque aún se debate si realmente son o no especies distintas. El Gobierno Mexicano sí reconoce al Cozumeleño como especie aparte y la considera Amenazada. Existen otras dos especies en Sudamérica, y al igual que los mapaches, deben su nombre a un idioma indígena, en este caso al Guaraní, en que “coa” significa “largo” y “ti” significa “nariz”, por su hocico alargado. Son altamente sociables y forman grupos de hasta 20 individuos. Tienen una cola larga que frecuentemente elevan en vertical para ubicarse unos a otros. Los machos mayores tienden a ser solitarios y únicamente se unen a la tropa durante le temporada de apareamiento. Al igual que los mapaches, comen un poco de todo, incluyendo insectos, huevos y carroña, pero muestran una preferencia por las frutas y verduras, por lo cual algunos agricultores los consideran una verdadera plaga. Generalmente mas largos y esbeltos que los mapaches. Llegan a medir 30 cm de altura y 1.4 metros de longitud (incluyendolacola). Adiferencia de los mapaches, son diurnos, y generalmente se muestran más activos por la mañana y al atardecer. Sin embargo, aquellos acostumbrados a visitar los cultivos o basureros humanos frecuentemente adoptan costumbres nocturnas. |
| As with their cousins the raccoons, we have a mainland species, the White Nosed Coati (Nasua narica) and a smaller island variant, the Cozumel Coati (Nasua nelsoni), though there is some debate on whether they are truly different species or not. The Cozumel Coati is recognized as a separate species by the Mexican Government, which considers it to be Threatened. There are two more South American species, and like raccoons, Coatis also get their name from a Native American language, in this case from the two Guaraní words “coa”, meaning long, and “ti”, meaning nose, in reference to its distinctive snout. They are highly social & form troops of up to 20 individuals and have a long tail which often sticks straight up and helps them keep track of each other. Older males tend to be solitary and only join the groups during mating season. Like raccoons they eat a bit of everything, including insects, eggs, and carrion, but show a preference for fruits and vegetables which leads some farmers to consider them a serious nuisance. These expert climbers and jumpers are usually longer and more slender than raccoons, reaching heights of about 30 cm, and lengths (including the long tail) of up to 1.4 m. Unlike raccoons, they are usually active during the day, particularly in early morning and late evening. However, those accustomed to raiding human crops and garbage for food may become more nocturnal. |
| Recomendamos estos libros sobre la Fauna de México. (Los nuestros son bilingues.) |
| To learn more about the Wildlife of Mexico, we recommend the following books. |
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