The white-nosed coati (Nasua narica), also known as the coatimundi, white-nosed coatimundi, pizote, antoon, gato solo, or tejón (depending on the region), is a medium-sized member of the raccoon family (Procyonidae). Native to wooded habitats ranging from the southwestern United States through Mexico and Central America to northwestern Colombia, it is distinguished by its long, flexible white-tipped snout, short rounded ears, and a long, slender, ringed tail that it often holds upright for balance. Adults typically weigh 4–6 kg (though males can reach up to 9 kg) and measure about 110 cm from nose to tail tip, with the tail making up roughly half that length. These agile, mostly diurnal omnivores forage on the ground and in trees for insects, fruits, small vertebrates, and other food, using their mobile snouts and strong claws.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Carnivora |
| Family | Procyonidae (raccoons and relatives) |
| Genus | Nasua |
| Species | Nasua narica (Linnaeus, 1766) |
Also known as coatimundi, pizote, antoon, or tejón in various Spanish-speaking regions. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Description (Physical Characteristics)
The white-nosed coati is a medium-sized, slender mammal related to raccoons. Head-body length typically ranges from 43–66 cm (17–26 in), with the long, slender, non-prehensile (or semi-prehensile) tail nearly as long (42–68 cm / 17–27 in), for a total length around 85–130 cm (about 3–4.3 ft). Weight is usually 3.5–6 kg (7.7–13 lb), though small females may weigh as little as ~3 kg and large males up to 7–9 kg (15–20 lb). Males are notably larger and about 30% heavier on average than females.
The coat is typically light buff to reddish, grayish, or dark brown, often with yellowish or silvery grizzling, especially on the sides of the arms; underparts are lighter. The distinctive facial markings include a white or pale band/patch around the tip of the long, flexible, slightly upturned snout (the “white nose”), white spots above and below each eye and on the cheeks, and a darker facial mask or band. The short, rounded ears have white interiors. The long tail is often ringed with darker bands (more distinct in juveniles) and is typically held upright while walking or foraging for balance and signaling. Feet have five toes with strong, curved claws suited for digging and climbing; front claws are longer.
The snout is highly mobile and sensitive, adapted for probing leaf litter and crevices. Sense of smell is particularly acute and primary for foraging.
Behavior
White-nosed coatis are primarily diurnal (active by day, especially mornings and late afternoons), unlike many other procyonids such as raccoons. They rest or sleep at night in trees, rocky ledges, or dens, though they may become more nocturnal in areas of high human disturbance or hunting pressure.
Social structure is distinctive: adult males are largely solitary (except during the brief mating season), while females and their offspring (including young males under ~2 years old) form cohesive social groups called bands. Bands typically number 4–20+ individuals (occasionally up to 30–40), often matrilineal with related females, though some unrelated individuals may join. Bands forage together, engage in mutual grooming (using teeth and claws), and use a variety of vocalizations, visual signals, and scent marking for communication. Young may be left with “babysitters” while others forage. Play-fighting occurs among juveniles and some females. Large bands may temporarily split into smaller foraging subgroups.
They are excellent climbers (using the tail for balance) but spend most of their active time on the ground. They are agile, strong, and opportunistic.
Reproduction: Mating occurs seasonally. Gestation lasts about 10–11 weeks (~70–77 days). Pregnant females leave the band to give birth in a tree nest (often palms or similar) to litters of 1–7 (commonly 2–6) altricial young. Mothers care for them in the nest for several weeks before rejoining the band with the mobile young. Young are weaned around 4 months and reach adult size by about 15 months. Sexual maturity is reached around 2 years for females (later effective breeding for males due to competition). Lifespan is typically up to ~7 years in the wild and averages ~14 years (occasionally longer, into the late teens or more) in captivity.
Habitat
White-nosed coatis are highly adaptable but prefer wooded habitats. They occupy tropical and subtropical dry and moist broadleaf forests, open woodlands, oak woodlands, pine-oak woodlands, riparian areas, canyons, and montane forests. They occur from sea level up to about 3,000 m (9,800 ft) elevation. They are less common in open grasslands, pure deserts, or heavily modified areas, though they may use agricultural edges or scrub. In the southwestern U.S., they favor oak woodlands and hardwood riparian canyons.
They forage both on the ground (leaf litter) and in the canopy (for fruit).
Range (Geographic Distribution)
The species ranges from the southwestern United States (southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico; historically or marginally in parts of Texas, though status there is limited or uncertain) southward through most of Mexico (excluding the Baja Peninsula and parts of the central Sierra Madre), throughout Central America, and marginally into northwestern South America (far northwestern Colombia near the Panama border; some sources extend to western Colombia/Ecuador areas west of the Andes). Subspecies include N. n. molaris (northern populations including the U.S. and much of Mexico), N. n. narica (southern Mexico/Central America/Colombia), and others such as the smaller Cozumel Island form (N. n. nelsoni).
Food Sources (Diet)
White-nosed coatis are omnivorous and opportunistic foragers. The primary diet consists of invertebrates (insects and their larvae—beetles, grubs, ants, termites; spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and occasionally land crabs or worms), which they locate by sniffing through leaf litter with the snout held close to the ground and dig out with strong claws. Fruit is a major seasonal component (e.g., figs, hog plums, prickly pear and other cactus fruits, and many native tree fruits); bands may repeatedly visit productive trees and strip them. They also consume small vertebrates (lizards, snakes, frogs, rodents, occasionally birds or eggs), nuts, carrion, and occasionally anthropogenic food sources near human settlements. They may travel substantial distances daily (up to ~2 km) while foraging.
They play an ecological role as seed dispersers through fruit consumption and as mid-level consumers in food webs.
This report synthesizes information from reliable biological sources including IUCN assessments, museum/species accounts, and field studies. Populations are generally stable across much of the range but face localized pressures from habitat loss, hunting, and fragmentation in some areas.