Plate 030 · on a laurel branch, looking for fruit IdentificationSix marks on the plate
- 1Long, mobile snout, slightly upturned at the tip.
- 2Pale spots above and below the eye, on a dark face.
- 3Small ears with a white rim.
- 4Greyish-brown coat, paler on the belly.
- 5Ringed tail long, and carried upright while walking.
- 6Dark legs with long claws for digging and climbing.
Easily confused with TayraEira barbaraBlack body, paler head and an unringed tail. Crab-eating raccoonProcyon cancrivorusShort snout, black mask and a shorter ringed tail. 030 / 100 · MAMMALS · PROCYONIDAELEAST CONCERN South American coati
Nasua nasua
Coatí · Ring-tailed coati
In Tucumán it is a rarity. For decades there were only museum skins and odd sightings. In 2023 a live band of about 15 animals was photographed for the first time, in a laurel tree at La Higuera, in Trancas.
- Weight
- c. 3 – 7 kg
- Altitude
- c. 500 – 1,800 m
- Bands
- up to 15 or more animals
- Subspecies
- N. n. cinerascens
- Rare in Tucumán
- Climber
- Lives in bands
- Day-active
Altitude rangeIn the lower and middle forest
Foothill and montane forest Tucumán records are few: Trancas, Tafí Viejo, Yerba Buena, Lules and the Santa Ana reserve. Altitude limits are approximate.
FoodA nose into everything
- Invertebratesgrubs, beetles, spiders
- Fruitlaurels, figs, myrtles
- Leaf litterwhere it probes with its snout
- Eggs and nestlingsoccasional
- Lizardsoccasional
It turns over the ground with its long snout and strong claws. It climbs trees to eat fruit and to sleep.
BehaviourBands of females
- Bands. Females and young travel in groups. Adult males mostly live alone.
- Expert climber. It climbs down trunks head first by turning its ankles backwards. It uses its tail for balance.
- Day-active. It forages by day and spends the night high in the trees.
Where to look in Tucumán- La Higuera (Trancas)
- Sierra de San Javier
- Reserva Santa Ana
- PN Aconquija
- Reserva San Pablo (Lules)