My Description of the Coatimundi

On my most recent trip to the zoo (Amarillo, TX), as I was taking pictures with my little digital, being overjoyed at the more popular animals--such as the Lions, & the Tiger, & the Bobcats...I came across an animal I didn't expect, & hadn't thought much about in my life, I am sure, even with my love for animals & the desire to constantly be studying them; a coatimundi.

The coatimundi (class: mammalia, order: omnivora, family: procyonidae, genus: Nasua, species: nasua), is actually the name of a solitary male of the "coati", but is a nontechnical term for the creature itself.
It is a cousin to our own USA masked bandit, the raccoon. They hail natively from Central & South America, & are short creatures with long striped tails & a long snout. They can be anywhere from a reddish color, to brown & tan. They have white spots above & below their eyes, & different coatis can have darker faces; some are completely dark brown excepting the white spots.
Being omnivores, they eat a variety of fruits & insects (larvae, beetles, scorpions, spiders--yum!), as well as sometimes small lizards & rodents.
They are vocal, & make high pitched squealing type sounds.

When I saw the coati at our zoo, it was not very active, choosing to rest atop a sleeping box, which is normal, since in the wild coatis like to sleep & rest in trees of the rain forest canopy. But they are, as opposed to other members of the raccoon family, diurnal--meaning active during the day.
I wouldn't have known from the zoo coatimundi, but I suppose I wouldn't be too active either if I was in a cage & had people gawking over me all day, every day!

After some research, I was amazed to find that these unique animals are actually kept as pets quite frequently. They can live up to 15 or so years in captivity, as opposed to about 8 in the wild. They can be difficult to train, though, but if you get them young enough, should be alright. But owning a coati, as with any exotic pet, can be expensive, & a baby can run anywhere from $500-$1,200. Not to mention all the cost of an enclosure, food, etc.

I do not plan to ever want to own a coatimundi as a pet, but I believe they are beautiful animals to observe, & I am sure in the wild they are much more so! They use their front paws as "hands" the same way a raccoon will, & they can run down trees head first (I wish my cat would understand that concept!).
I suggest you do your own research into them if you wish to know more!

The next time you are at your local zoo, see if they have one of these amazing creatures, & I am sure they will make you smile!