Arizona’s Wildlife

Coati

White-nosed coatis are reddish brown to black with lighter underparts. They have masked faces with rings of lighter fur around their eyes and long snouts. While walking, their long, ringed tail is often visible towering above them.

  • Common Name:

    White-nosed Coati or Coatimundi

  • Scientific Name:

    Nasua narica

  • Weight:

    Males weigh up to 18 pounds and females are slightly smaller.

  • Size:

    The length of the white-nosed coati's head and body is about 26 inches, and their tails are almost as long as their bodies.

  • Where to See:

    Arizona’s white-nosed coatis tend to prefer woodlands, riparian habitats, and rocky canyons generally at elevations from 4,500-7,500 feet.

Coatimundi in tall grass

About

Although related to nocturnal raccoons and ringtails, white-nosed coatis are mostly diurnal. They are omnivores feeding on insects, mice, lizards, fruits, seeds, eggs, etc. White-nosed coatis have long, flexible snouts to smell and probe for food in soil or under leaves and investigate crevices and holes. They use their strong, curved claws for digging up food or climbing up trees. Their long semi-prehensile tails help them balance as they run and jump among branches.

History

White-nosed coatis are relative newcomers to Arizona from the Mexican, Central and South American tropics. The first coati was recorded in southeastern Arizona in 1892. They have gradually expanded as far north as Flagstaff by following tree-filled riparian corridors.

  • A coati sniffs through dry leaves on the forest floor with its long tail raised straight upward among scattered trees.

  • A brown coati stands on rocky forest ground among dry leaves and tree trunks, looking toward the camera with its long striped tail extended behind it.

  • Two coatis walk through a shaded forest area with logs and green plants, partially framed by blurred leaves in the foreground.

  • A young coati balances on a tree branch in a green forest, shown in side profile with its nose pointed forward.

  • Five young coatis climb over a large sunlit rock surrounded by dry grass and sparse branches in a woodland setting.

Behavior & Seasonal Patterns

The white-nosed coati is a social mammal that lives in “bands” or “troops” of up to 30 individuals. They have a unique family structure in which males live separately from females and young during the fall and winter months, reuniting in the spring to breed. After the female gives birth to up to six young and returns to the band, the adult males are pushed out and the young coatis are raised and protected within the safety of their individual matriarchal-structured group. Often observed foraging for food on the ground or occasionally in trees in natural areas in southeastern Arizona. The species has a wide distribution range and is present in many protected areas across its range.

Hunting Regulations

Current hunt management in Arizona authorizes a seven-month season, and a bag limit of one coati per calendar year. Refer to the Arizona hunting regulations for seasons and details.

HUNTING REGULATIONS

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