Nasua

Diversity

Nasua is the genus for coatis, the social long-tailed omnivorous members of the family Procyonidae . The genus Nasua has long included two agreed-upon species; Nasua narica and Nasua nasua . However recent research suggests that all coatis including those in Nasuella should be united under the single genus Nasua . Nasua is derived from the Latin word for nose, which is used to distinguish between brown-nosed coatis ( Nasua nasua ) and white-nosed coatis ( Nasua narica ). Coatis inhabit North, Central, and South America with a range extending from Arizona and New Mexico to Brazil and parts of Argentina and Uruguay. Across this range, coatis can be found in a wide variety of habitats such as tropical and subtropical forests, various woodlands, and occasionally in semi-arid deserts and grasslands. Coatis are remarkable omnivores, often foraging during the day for fruits and invertebrates in leaf litter. While taking advantage of what other opportunities may arise. They are highly social with their distinct vocalizations for communicating and social groups called bands. These bands are typically composed of multiple mature females, young juveniles, and subadults that travel together nomadically. These social groups offer safety in numbers against some parasites and predators. Coatis still face many challenges such as predation, pathogens, food shortages, and anthropogenic change. Putting few species and subpopulations at great risk, and being of major conservation concern.

Geographic Range

Coatis in the genus Nasua are found in both North and South America. Nasua narica is the most Northern species with its range extending from southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico down to Panama and Northern Columbia. The subspecies Nasua narica nelsoni is native to Cozumel Island off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. Rarely Nasua narica can be found in Texas though there are not any known established populations, nor are there any in Mexico's central highlands or Baja California. Nasua nasua is the southernmost species and is only native to South America. With its range extending from Eastern Columbia and Venezuela down to Northern Uruguay and Argentina. Nasua Nasua has been introduced on Robinson Crusoe Island west of Chile. A few individuals of Nasua narica have also been introduced in the United Kingdom, as well as Indiana and Oklahoma in the United States.

• Biogeographic Regions
• nearctic nearctic
  • native native
• palearctic palearctic
  • introduced introduced
• neotropical neotropical
  • native native

• Other Geographic Terms
• island endemic island endemic

Habitat

Coatis of the genus Nasua live in a wide variety of terrestrial habitats but are primarily found in wooded habitats. Such as tropical, cloud, dry scrub, evergreen, pine, and temperate oak forests. Occasionally coatis may forage in less vegetative and xeric habitats such as deserts, beaches, and grasslands. Coatis are arboreal and prefer forested habitats as they provide fruit and leaf litter invertebrates that make up most of their diet. In the northernmost part of the range, Nasua narica stays in riparian and pinion-oak-juniper woodlands habitats. This region tends to have fewer trees, so N. narica tends to rely more on crevices and ledges in those habitats for nesting sites. Species in the genus Nasua can be found in various altitudes, ranging from 492 to 2,909 meters. With the highest parts of their range being in the Huachucas and Andes Mountains. Coatis of the genus Nasuella inhabit alpine tundras, paramos, and cloud forests of the Northern Andes at much higher altitudes ranging between 1,300 to 4,260 meters. Coatis can also be found in agricultural and urban habitats as they are drawn to crops and trash for easy foraging.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate
• tropical tropical
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• tundra tundra
• desert or dune desert or dune
• savanna or grassland savanna or grassland
• chaparral chaparral
• forest forest
• rainforest rainforest
• scrub forest scrub forest
• mountains mountains

• Other Habitat Features
• urban urban
• agricultural agricultural
• riparian riparian

Systematic and Taxonomic History

Early taxonomists originally categorized coati species by how social they were. Naming the social coatis Nasua sociabilis and the solitary coatis Nasua solitaria . This confusion was later corrected when it was discovered that both proposed “species” were the same species. Adult males are often solitary while adult females and adolescent males live in social groups.

The genus Nasua has traditionally two recognized species; Nasua nasua (Brown-nosed or Brazilian coati) and Nasua narica (White-nosed coati) both originally described by Linneaus in 1766. A third species was proposed known as Nasua nelsoni to describe coatis endemic to Cozumel Island, primarily based on their smaller size and dentition. However quantitative analysis and research on the qualitative features of Nasua nelsoni did not find any diagnostic characteristics that distinguish them from their mainland relatives. Additional phylogenetic analysis did not recover Nasua nelsoni as a distinct enough lineage from N. narica to promote it to the species rank. Thus this population is now typically considered to be a subspecies of Nasua narica named ( Nasua narica nelsoni ).

Coatis have been traditionally split between two genera; Nasua and Nasuella (mountain coatis). The two groups were typically diagnosed as separate genera based on their distinct differences in size, morphology, and ecology. With the assumption that coatis species within a genus are more closely related to each other than coatis of the other genus. Though many phylogenetic studies have recovered Nasua to be paraphyletic in relation to Nasuella . With results showing Nasuella olivacea being the closest relative to Nasua narica instead of Nasua nasua as previously assumed. This new understanding of coati evolutionary relationships supports that all living species of coatis belong to the genus Nasua . Leading some taxonomic authorities to reclassify mountain coatis in the genus Nasuella as now a part of the genus Nasua . The closest living relatives to coatis are Olingos of the genus Bassaricyon , which likely shared a most recent common ancestor with coatis in South America six million years ago.

Physical Description

Coatis are medium-sized, long, and slender mammals. From head to tail, adult coatis are around 32 to 50 in length. Their tails are long, non-prehensile, and are often held straight up during foraging. Unlike other procyonids Procyonidae , coatis have long, upturned, and highly mobile snouts that extend past their lower jaws. Within the jaws are large pointed canines and sharp cusped high-crowned molars. They possess five-digit claws that are long and curved for digging. The coats of coatis are highly polymorphic, with large variations in colors and patterns across individuals, populations, and species. Coats of an individual can also vary from year to year, with molting starting in the summer months. Generally, coatis are various cryptic shades of brown that blend in with their respective habitats, with dark rings going down the length of their tails. In juveniles, these rings are more distinct and coat coloration tends to be darker. Males are larger and 30% heavier on average than females. The coloration on a coati’s muzzle adjacent to the rhinarium helps distinguish species, with N. narica having a white coloration and N. nasua having brown coloration. Both species are bigger, have longer tails, and have larger teeth than Mountain coatis in the genus Nasuella .

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• homoiothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry
• polymorphic polymorphic

• Sexual Dimorphism
• male larger

Reproduction

During the annual mating season females will mate with multiple males. Either by temporarily leaving their bands to mate with solitary males or mating with males that temporarily join their bands. Males that join a band during a breeding season typically have higher reproductive success than those that stay solitary, as they often mate with multiple females in the band. Coatis are generally promiscuous. Males will compete over females by fighting and chasing each other off. If a male is a part of a band he will actively fight and chase away other adult males the band may encounter, while staying submissive to the females in the band. Leaving many males have large canines which they employ during combat to injure their competitors. Leaving many males severely injured, underweight, and disfigured both during and after the mating season from these fights. Males reach sexual maturity by age two but typically successfully mate later in their lives due to high intraspecific competition. Females exhibit mate choice, often coming together to either chase away or let males into their social bands. Whether or not a female breeds during a mating season is usually dependent on food availability.

• Mating System
• polygynandrous (promiscuous) polygynandrous (promiscuous)

Reproduction is seasonal and highly synchronous, with females becoming reproductively active once a year, all around the same time. Mating seasons typically last between two to four weeks and coincide with seasonal changes in the abundance of food. Depending on the species, population, and geography the timing of mating seasons varies, but seems to start somewhere between January to April. Copulation in coatis can happen terrestrially or arboreally. Birth seasons are synchronized with times of high fruit and arthropod abundance to lower juvenile mortality around generally late June to the Middle of August. The gestation period lasts on average between 10 to 11 weeks. A few days prior to giving birth females will leave their bands and build a nest for their litter, in trees, on rock ledges, or in crevices depending on the habitat. In rare instances, females will nest together, especially if one loses their nest to predators. In these cases care is split between the two females who will both nurse the young. Females can have one to seven offspring per year in either single or multiple paternity litters. Mothers will live alone with their litter for between one to two months and will nurse them for up to 3 months. Around the fifth week, their offspring are able to forage independently, and around this time the mother and her litter will join a band. Mothers may continue to nurse their young during a band’s resting periods until the juveniles are around three months of age. At two years of age, coatis reach sexual maturity. Mature females typically stay within a band while mature males leave or are chased away from their natal band to live solitarily.

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• fertilization fertilization
• viviparous viviparous

Parental investment is maternal, with mothers investing in their offspring for up to two years in males and possibly longer in females that stay within the same band. Once pregnant, females will separate from their bands and build their nests, typically high up in trees for their litter. Coatis are born altricial, starting out underdeveloped, often blind, and relying on their mother for weaning, protection, and grooming. Weaning can last for three months but can cease earlier once juveniles master independent foraging. Around the tenth day pups are able to open their eyes and around the nineteenth are able to walk. Between the fifth to sixth week, adolescent coatis are able to forage by themselves but may continue to wean from their mothers. It is around this time mothers and their offspring rejoin social groups. Once a female and her offspring join a band, direct parental care is reduced as it shifts to being allomaternal. Within a band adult females regardless of relatedness will care for the young in the same ways. The closest bond between coatis in a band is between mothers and their offspring. Mothers will continue to support their offspring by responding to their stress calls or coming to their aid during intragroup conflicts between band members. Parental investment stops when the offspring leave the same band as their mother.

• Parental Investment
• altricial altricial
• female parental care female parental care
• pre-hatching/birth
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-independence
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• post-independence association with parents

Lifespan/Longevity

In the wild, coatis typically live up to 7 years. While those in captivity can typically reach 17 years. Though one white-nosed coati ( N. narica ) was documented to live up to 26.4 years at the Chessington Zoo, in the United Kingdom. In the wild, the most common causes of mortality of coatis are predation, disease, and food shortages.

Behavior

Coatis are diurnal but occasionally exhibit nocturnal activity during times of high hunting pressure from humans. During the night coatis typically establish resting sites on branches of trees, in caves, crevices, or holes depending on what is available. Solitary males tend to be more nocturnal, especially during the mating season, and travel much greater distances than coatis in bands.

Male and female coatis differ in sociality. Adult females and their young live in matriarchal social groups called bands, while adult males tend to be solitary. Band sizes differ across species with Nasua narica bands typically being around four to twenty-six individuals while Nasua nasua band sizes range between five to sixty-five individuals. Young males within a band that reach reproductive maturity at two years of age will leave for a solitary lifestyle. Dispersing males may start out by living in small groups with other males for short periods before becoming completely solitary. Typical interactions between solitary males (called coatimundis) tend to be mostly aggressive or avoidant. During a mating season adult males may rejoin a band to access potential mates but leave again after the season concludes. Adult males in bands are submissive to the females but will drive off any other adult males that may approach the band. Out of mating season adult males are mostly excluded from bands as they tend to be aggressive and infanticidal. Female band members often join together to drive off solitary males they encounter. Though in some instances solitary males can be tolerated outside of the mating season. In these instances, males have positive interactions with band members where they participate in mutual grooming and stay with them for small periods of time. Some bands of Nasua nasua will include a single social adult male who stays with the band year-round. This male will typically mate with the females during mating season and drive off other males from joining. After the mating season, females will remain in the band through most of gestation and then will leave a few days before giving birth. After birth females will take care of their young alone for around two months before rejoining bands with their offspring. Females typically stay with their natal bands, though some will immigrate into others, sometimes even switching between bands. Larger bands may split into smaller bands if they become too large, especially if competition becomes too high. While smaller bands may combine if resources are abundant. Interactions with other bands can be peaceful or hostile. Bands may congregate peacefully in areas where food is heavily abundant, appearing as one huge band but still retaining their association with their respective social groups.

In a band, coatis will move around together nomadically, spending most of their time foraging in an area for weeks to a couple of months. A band will spend most of their day foraging before engaging in a resting period for around an hour. During these periods individuals will rest, nurse, allogroom, play and explore. Living in bands provides coatis with more protection against predators, more maternal support rearing their young, and lower loads of some ectoparasites through extensive mutual grooming. Bands will form coalitions to defend against antagonistic solitary males, smaller predators, or groups of competitors such as Capuchin monkeys ( Cebus ). Coatis spend a lot of time allogrooming which involves cleaning other individuals of ectoparasites. Allogrooming helps wounds heal faster, strengthens social bonds, and helps defuse intraband conflicts between members (Kaufmann, 1962; Smith, 1977). Band members will suffer higher rates of pathogen transmission, with infections often spreading quickly throughout entire bands. Solitary individuals may benefit from a lower risk of infection, but due to the lack of mutual grooming, often suffer higher ectoparasite loads. Bands are made up of extended family members and some unrelated individuals. Related band members will still support unrelated individuals, though those individuals typically spend more time alone, receive more aggression, and have less support relative to related members.

Coatis are terrestrial, arboreal, and good swimmers that typically stay out of the water unless forced. They walk with a plantigrade gait and can switch to a galloping lumbering gait, for faster speeds. Coatis can reach speeds of up to 27 km an hour. They are well adapted for climbing and often do so to build nests, forage, or to rest in trees. Relying on their claws for grip, backward rotating hind feet for stability, and tails for balance, they ascend up small trees and vines. In trees, coatis can jump short distances between branches and descend down trees headfirst. Coatis are more challenged by larger trees with smoother trunks. Coatis in habitats where trees are less abundant such as in Arizona tend to be more terrestrial than arboreal.

• Key Behaviors
• arboreal arboreal
• terricolous
• diurnal diurnal
• motile motile
• nomadic nomadic
• solitary solitary
• social social

Communication and Perception

Primarily coatis rely on olfaction, which they use to communicate, locate food, and investigate things. When foraging for invertebrates, coatis point their flexible noses in leaf litter to detect prey. Detection can extend up to 2 feet into the ground. For communication solitary males often rub their urine on various landmarks within their territories and home ranges, to display their presence to other individuals. Females engage in scent making where they excrete drops of liquid on various things, likely to communicate information about their estrus cycles. Both sexes additionally engage in Perineal sniffing, where they learn about individuals by sniffing their anogenital region. When coming into contact with something new, coatis will investigate by putting their snouts directly on or by new objects.

For vision coatis possess a reflective tapetum lucidum which aids in seeing better in darker conditions. They are also dichromatic and can see a small range of different colors. Coatis are able to distinguish between color hues, which is hypothesized to help them forage for brightly colored fruits.Visual communication is in the form of different displays. Juveniles when wanting to be groomed will jerk their heads towards a recipient. During antagonistic interactions, individuals take up a threat display by assuming a posture and pointing their noses upwards displaying their canines. Recipients may respond with a submissive head-down display to defuse confrontation. In response to being frightened, coatis will jerk their tails rapidly.

Primarily coatis rely on olfaction, which they use to communicate, locate food, and investigate things. When foraging for invertebrates, coatis point their flexible noses in leaf litter to detect prey. Detection can extend up to 2 feet into the ground. For communication solitary males often rub their urine on various landmarks within their territories and home ranges, to display their presence to other individuals. Females engage in scent making where they excrete drops of liquid on various things, likely to communicate information about their estrus cycles. Both sexes additionally engage in Perineal sniffing, where they learn about individuals by sniffing their anogenital region. When coming into contact with something new, coatis will investigate by putting their snouts directly on or by new objects.

The main forms of tactile communication are mutual grooming and gentle biting between coatis. Coatis engage in mutual grooming for greeting and building social bonds with each other. In addition to gentle bites these forms of communication are often used for appeasement, to help prevent and stop conflicts between individuals.

• Communication Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

• Other Communication Modes
• scent marks scent marks

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Coatis are opportunistic omnivores and will eat fruit, eggs, invertebrates, and small vertebrates. Fruit and leaf litter arthropods make up around 85% of their diets. The diet of coatis is dependent on the season at which specific resources are available. During the wet season, coatis will forage in the leaf litter for invertebrates. They will point their noses to the ground and move constantly, scooping up small invertebrates. Typically consuming 1 prey item every 40 seconds. Coatis are able to detect invertebrates two feet below the ground and will use their claws to dig them up. In the leaf litter coatis will feed on invertebrates in the groups Annelida and Gastropoda but will primarily consume arthropods ( Arthropoda ) in the groups Diplopoda , Coleoptera , Arachnida , Crustacea , Orthoptera , Lepidoptera and various types of insect Larvae. Coatis will also eat any small vertebrates ( Vertebrata ) and eggs from the nests of turtles ( Testudines ) and birds ( Aves ) to a much lesser extent. As well as eating any human trash, crops, or carrion they find. During the dry season or times of higher abundance, coatis rely more on fruit. Coatis consume a large variety of fruit that is reflective of the high plant diversity in the Neotropics, Nearctic, and the introduced exotic plant species from agriculture. At any given fruit tree, coatis will typically spend 2.5 to 12.5 minutes foraging for fruit either on the ground or in trees. Many populations will utilize introduced and exotic trees such as oriental raisin trees ( Hovenia dulcis ) and Loquat trees ( Eriobotrya ) during the winter season when native fruit and invertebrate abundance is low. Populations are especially sensitive to fluctuations in fruit abundance, with high mortality rates and population extinctions in response to fruit shortages.

Bands when foraging will split into smaller groups and then spread out. Individuals will switch between foraging in the leaf litter and looking for fruit trees. Individuals do not share or cooperate in catching prey. Solitary males are the most efficient at foraging, while band foraging efficiency decreases as band size increases. Large invertebrates such as tarantulas ( Theraphosidae ) are rolled between the paws to quickly kill and disarm any defenses. Vertebrate prey ( Vertebrata ) is usually pinned down with the claws and subdued with a bite into their skulls.

• Primary Diet
• carnivore carnivore
  • insectivore insectivore
  • eats non-insect arthropods
• herbivore herbivore
  • frugivore frugivore
• omnivore omnivore

Predation

Major predators of coatis are large raptors ( Falconiformes ), non-avian reptiles ( Reptilia ), and large felids ( Felidae ). Primates also tend to be predators of coatis, specifically Humans ( Homo sapiens ) and Capuchin monkeys ( Cebus ) which target coati nests. Primates along with other predators can kill up to 84% of coati juveniles in nests. To avoid predators solitary coatis spread out their nests from one another and rely primarily on crypsis to avoid detection. While coatis that live in bands avoid predation by working together via shared vigilance, alarm calling, and driving off smaller predators. After hearing alarm calls band members will stop foraging and look towards the individual who made it before deciding to ignore or run away. If an individual runs, other bandmates will usually follow, and climb trees to retreat. Adults will assume different positions, with some leading the young away or keeping attention to where the alarm was called. Bands may group their young in the middle of foraging sites while adults stay on the periphery to be vigilant. Adult coatis in bands will charge small-bodied predators to protect their young, but bands will generally flee in the presence of larger predators. Solitary adult male coatis are infanticidal and will usually prey upon young juveniles they find, thus most bands form a coalition against solitary males they encounter.

Solitary coatis are at higher risk of predation than those in bands. Solitary nesting females are the most vulnerable to predation, with the mortality rates being 6.5 to 13 times higher during the nesting season. Followed by solitary males who have double the rate of predation compared to social living females.

• Anti-predator Adaptations
• cryptic cryptic

Ecosystem Roles

Coatis are some of the most abundant predators in Neotropical forests in terms of their density and biomass. However, in some parts of their range, there is little evidence that coatis are significant predators such as in the United States. Their large population sizes provide for larger carnivores whilst controlling the abundance of invertebrates and fruit in their ecosystems as omnivorous mesopredators. Due to high fruit consumption, coatis are important seed dispersers. More seeds are dispersed when fruit becomes more abundant than their invertebrate prey. Coatis are also pollinators, specifically Nasua narica which pollinates the flowers of Balsa Trees ( Ochroma pyramidale ) when foraging for nectar. Some coatis share a mutualistic relationship with Tapirus bairdii , where they will groom and eat the ticks off of the tapirs.

Coatis also exhibit commensal relationships, where one species benefits while coatis receive no apparent benefit. White hawks ( Pseudastur albicollis ) are documented to potentially have a foraging association with Nasua narica . As N. narica bands forage in the leaf litter they drive out larger prey items for White hawks that observe coatis from a distance. Coatis also benefit dung beetle species ( Scarabaeidae ) as coati excrement is a preferred resource among various species. These species feed off of and oviposit their eggs into the excrement for their young to hatch, develop, and further feed off of it.

As hosts, coatis are extremely susceptible to various types of viruses, pathogens and parasites. Including Rabies, Distemper, trypanosomes, and many genera of mites ( Acariformes ), ticks ( Parasitiformes ), parasitic worms, and fly larvae ( Diptera ).

• Ecosystem Impact
• disperses seeds
• pollinates

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Coatis are kept, sold, and sought after as exotic pets. Though coatis are difficult pets, and are often dumped due to increased aggression after reaching sexual maturity. Coatis are also sought after for their skin and meat. Their skins have low economic value but are often acquired for aesthetic and cultural purposes. Across their range, coatis are important food sources for many different communities.

• Positive Impacts
• pet trade pet trade
• food food
• body parts are source of valuable material

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Coatis can be a major agricultural pest. They are often observed eating various cultivated crops such as corn, apples, figs, and peaches. Leading to them often being hunted as a form of pest control. Coatis are also of infectious concern as they can carry rabies and distemper viruses which can be transmitted to domestic pets and potentially humans.

• Negative Impacts
• injures humans
  • carries human disease
• crop pest
• causes or carries domestic animal disease causes or carries domestic animal disease

Conservation Status

Habitat destruction and overhunting have caused declines in specific coati populations; however, there does not seem to be evidence for a large-scale decline in coatis in Central or South America. Both Nasua narica and Nasua nasua are classified by the IUCN as least concern. The IUCN estimates that coati populations overall are decreasing. Declines in coati populations are also linked to predation by domesticated species, disease outbreaks, and periods of low food abundance. The subspecies Nasua narica nelsoni has become of major conservation concern. A recent assessment of Nasua narica nelsoni has found them to be incredibly rare on Cozumel island likely due to their population’s rapid decline and small isolated range. Nasua narica nelsoni is believed to be at risk of extinction, with calls for specific management of subspecies despite the classification of least concern for Nasua narica . Mountain coatis of the genus Nasuella are of greater conservation concern than those of Nasua . As they are relatively understudied, suffering from extensive habitat loss, and are high-altitude specialists. Thus the IUCN classifies them as near threatened and endangered for Nasuella olivacea and Nasuella meridensis respectively. Coati species are legally protected in New Mexico, Uruguay, and Honduras.

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Ethan Manyik (author), Colorado State University, Tanya Dewey (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

References

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