What Is A Coati And Is It The Same As A Racoon?

The coati is a small mammal in the Procyonidae family, the same family as the racoon. The coati is similar to the racoon and shares many features with it. The adult coati has a long, banded tail and distinctive facial markings. It is distributed in the Americas from California in the north to Uruguay in the south. Coatis, like racoons, live in a range of different habitats including topical lowlands and forests, where its long tail helps with climbing.

The Latin name of the coati is Nasua nasua. The word nasua means 'nose' and the coati's nose is its most remarkable feature. It is long, highly flexible and very sensitive. The coati is sometimes called the hog-nosed coon because of its long snout.

In body format, the coati is very similar to the racoon but it tends to have a thinner body and a more elongated head. It holds its ringed tail upright as it moves about.