Coati

Description

They are small with a chestnut-brown coat and a long striped tail that measures about the same as the rest of their bodies. The legs are short with strong nails in the fingers and toes with which they dig the ground to sniff with their elongated noses and find food. They are known for their incredible sense of smell. They are plantigrade as they walk using the entire sole of the foot on the ground. 

Behaviour

They are sociable and live in groups of 10-20 individuals mainly formed by females; the males are more solitary. They are adapted to walking on the ground, always with their tail in the air, and to dangling and jumping from branch to branch to seek shelter in the treetops. The gestation period lasts 50-65 days and they have 2-5 cubs that live in the nest with the mother until they are 6 weeks old. 

Interesting facts

They are victims of illegal trafficking of exotic species. They became popular as pets in Spain some years ago, as the cubs are very sociable. But as they grow, they develop a markedly aggressive behaviour in captivity, as a result of their hormonal development. As a result, they were released to the wild en masse making this species an invasive one.