Mammals · Carnivora · Procyonidae

Mountain Coati

Nasua olivacea

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The western mountain coati is the smallest of the American procyonids and the only one adapted to the high Andes. It lives in the cloud forests and páramos of Colombia and Ecuador, at altitudes no other coati reaches. It is diurnal and forms social groups of females and young, while adult males are usually solitary. It roots for invertebrates in the ground and leaf litter with its long, mobile snout, and rounds out its diet with fruit. Very little is known of its biology.

Weight

1 kg – 1.5 kg

Size

36 cm – 40 cm

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

RainforestMountainOmnivore Diurnal Near Threatened Rainforest Mountain Mammal

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Fun facts

It is the highest-living coati in the world: it has been recorded above 4,000 metres, out on the open páramo.
Until 2009 it was considered a single species together with the eastern mountain coati of Venezuela, now separated as Nasuella meridensis.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Cloud forest and páramo of the Andes, between 1,300 and 4,250 metres of altitude

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/