South American Coati

Nasua nasua

Meet the South American Coati, a curious looking member of the Raccoon Family that is native to the forests of it's namesake continent.

Coatis are gray or brown in color, and have the ringed tails that can also be found in their Raccoon cousins. They are diurnal, and live in groups that can number up to 30 individuals. They feed off of a huge variety of fruits, eggs, and invertebrates, and they use their long noses to help them overturn rocks and plants to find meals.

South American Coatis are both arboreal and terrestrial. They do most of their hunting on the ground, but interestingly they mate and give birth in trees!

Right now, South American Coatis are listed at the Least Concern level, due to their very wide range. However, populations are on the decline as threats of hunting and deforestation continue to affect them.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : South America
Size : Length up to 3.3ft (1m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Carnivora
Family : Procyonidae -- Genus : Nasua -- Species : N. nasua

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Kinkajou

Kinkajou

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Carnivora
Family : Procyonidae
Genus : Potos
Species : flavus

Length : Up to 44in (112cm) including tail
Weight : 3-7lbs (1-3kg)

IUCN Status : Least Concern

The Kinkajou looks an awful lot like a Primate, or maybe some sort of weird Weasel. But they are, in fact, members of the same family that contains Raccoons and Coatis. Kinkajous are found in South and Central America, where they reside in tropical forest habitats.

Kinkajous are nocturnal, and have large eyes that help them to see at night. They sport prehensile tails which are fantastic for getting around in the canopy, and feet that they can turn backwards. They are the only members of their family with prehensile tails, and their feet allow them to climb about easier and move up and down treetrunks quickly.

Kinkajous are actually pretty social. They live in groups and are are more often heard than seen, due to their loud and frequent vocalizations. They are omnivores that feed off of fruits and small vertebrates during the night, and by day they sleep in tree cavities. Kinkajous are also sometimes called "Honey Bears" because of their habit of raiding bees nests.

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