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Status: Good. Diet in wild: Insects, fruit, mice, lizards, frogs and various other vegetation. Life span in wild: up to nine years. Life span in captivity: up to 17 years. Weight: 8-11 pounds. Native habitat: Woodlands, deserts and and lowland rainforests of Southwestern U.S., Mexico, Central and South America.
Black Pine Animal Park 1426 W. 300 N. P.O. Box 02 Albion, IN 46701 (260) 636-7383
©2008
Professional Animal Retirement Center, Inc.
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Coati Mundi (kow'aatee'múndee) The coati mundi (also spelled "mondi")
is a member of the raccoon family Coatis look different than raccoons, sporting a very long snout, smaller stature, smaller eyes, shorter ears, and longer hair. But they both share tails marked with dark bands. Their long nose is rich in sensory receptors so they have a very heightened sense of smell. Muscles enable them to curl their snout and poke into crevices in search of food. When climbing the coati can rotate his hind feet to make coming down head first from a tree easier. Coatis can run up to 15 miles per hour, for long periods, and are excellent swimmers. There are four species of coati all
living in the New World. They are found in the southwestern U.S.,
Mexico, Central and South America. Females and young males live in
groups called "bands", typically including up to 20 individuals.
Adult males, however, are solitary and only come into contact with other
coatis during mating season. Coatis are diurnal, which means they
are active during the day. Unfortunately, the coatis' gregarious behavior makes them appealing to many interested in owning them as "pets". But, like so many animals, coatis are not domesticated and are not easily trained, so do not make ideal housemates. Black Pine's resident coati mundi arrived in August 2005 after being live-trapped by the Department of Natural Resources in Indianapolis, Indiana, then temporarily housed at a nearby pet store. However, the pet store management knew putting the animal into a private home would not be the best choice, and called the park. To learn more about keeping animals like these as pets, click here. Click here to learn more about coatis. Click here to learn how you can help Black Pine's coati mundi. |
The Animals
(Procyonidae),
and like the North American raccoon, it is an omnivore (meaning it eats
both meat and vegetation.) Nicknames for this animal include
"Brazilian weasel" and "coon cat". 