Draft:Nasua Nasua

Nasua (latin “coati”) is a genus of small mammals of the raccoon family. They are native to North, Central, and South America. The origin of the word “coati”: the word was borrowed from the language of the aboriginal Tupian tribe, in which the nasuk is also called “mun”. These words denote two morphological features of the nosy: 1)”mun” - a large nose, 2) “coati” - a ring (or tail band).

Appearance

Morphometry: head and body length: 430-660 mm, tail length: 420-680 mm, hind foot length: 93-146 mm, ear length: 34-42 mm, weight: 3.0 to 5.9 kg.

Description: The head is elongated. The snout is long and mobile. The nose is slightly turned upward and may have a thin line of white hair. The ears are short, rounded, and covered with hair. The coat is short and dense, reddish-brown to black on the back, often with yellow spots. The head is grayish-brown. The chest and throat are whitish. The shoulders are usually gray. The abdominal area is brown to yellowish-cream. The ears are dark brown with lighter edges. The tail is long, reaching 75% of the length of the head and body. It is densely furred, with a dark brown tip. The tail has rings barely visible in the light. The paws are dark brown, the front ones often contrasting with the gray shoulders. The claws are very long and stiff on the front paws and short, curved, and strong on the hind paws.

Nutrition

Nosuchs are omnivores, but prefer food of animal origin - insects, small rodents, reptiles, crustaceans, and fish. Near human settlements, koatas can hunt domestic animals. Their lifestyle is mainly diurnal, but they can be active around the clock. Coatis are social animals. But only females live both in groups of 6-8 individuals and in colonies of 40 or more individuals. The number of individuals in one group depends on the amount of food in the territory where they live. Males are solitary. The natural enemies of noses are jaguar, puma, boa constrictor, birds of prey, and humans.

Reproduction

The mating season of nosua whales is seasonal, from January to March. During this period, males fight among themselves for the sole right to clean the fur of all females of the same group - this way they attract the attention of females, with whom the dominant male meets only to procreate. A female's pregnancy lasts approximately 77 days. From 2 to 6 cubs are born in one litter. The male does not take part in raising the offspring. During this period, females form colonies, where "kindergartens" are organized for children. Male cubs live in a group with females until they are 2 years old - at this age they become sexually mature - after which they are expelled.

Classification

The genus Nasua Linnaeus consists of only three species:

Narica - coatis; range - Central America, Mexico, southeastern Arizona and Western Colombia. Nasua, - common nasus; range - forests of South America, the eastern Andes, Argentina and Uruguay. Olivacea - mountain nasal; range - mountain forests of Ecuador and Colombia.

Habitat

Geography CONTINENTS: North America, South America SUBCONTINENTS: Central America COUNTRIES: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, United States of America BIOGEOGRAPHIC ZONES: Neo-Arctic, Neotropics WWF BIOMES: Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, Humid tropical forests Countries of occurrence: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, USA. Inhabits sparse forests and open woods, rarely found in steppes or deserts.

References

https://petsexotic.com.ua/animals/mammals/exotic-animals/coati/ https://animalia.bio/uk/white-nosed-coati https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41683/45216060