coati

coati

 or coatimundi

Coati (Nasua nasua)

(credit: Dick Robinson—Bruce Coleman Ltd.)

Any of three species (genus Nasua, family Procyonidae) of raccoonlike omnivores, found in wooded regions from the southwestern U.S. through South America. The coati has a long, flexible snout and a slender, darkly banded tail that it often carries erect. The male measures 29–54 in. (73–136 cm) in length (half of which is tail) and weighs 10–24 lbs (4.5–11 kg). Females and young commonly live in bands of five to 40; males are solitary, joining bands only during mating season. Coatis feed by day on seeds, fruits, eggs, and small animals.

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coati [kə′wäd·ē]

(vertebrate zoology)

The common name for three species of carnivorous mammals assigned to the raccoon family (Procyonidae) characterized by their elongated snout, body, and tail.