South African Coati

Coatis are members of the procyonid family along with raccoons, kinkajous and ring-tailed cats. They can rotate their ankles 180 degrees making them incredible climbers with the ability to climb down trees head-first. Unlike most members of the Procyon family that are nocturnal, coatis are diurnal and spend the majority of the day-time on the floor foraging for snacks, returning to the rainforest canopy in the evening.

The South American coati uses body posture, scent and vocalizations to communicate. Members of a coati band make whining noises while foraging, possibly to ensure that individuals don’t wander too far from the group. The coati makes loud warning calls consisting of woofs and clicks if a predator is seen. They use their long tails to signal and communicate with each other, their tails are as long and sometimes longer than their body length.

While male South American coatis are largely solitary, females and juveniles live in bands of about 15 to 30 individuals. Due to this difference in social behaviour, male coatis were once thought to be a separate species and were known as ‘coatimundis’. South American coatis are not territorial, and their home ranges often overlap with those of other groups.