RANGE | The Coati ranges primarily from Central America to Panama and marginally into South America in areas west of the Andes, especially in Colombia. Their range is expanding and are found in Arizona and parts of southern New Mexico in the United States through Mexico (except the Baja peninsula and central Sierra Madres).

FUN FACTS | The coati is a relative of the raccoon with a long, pointed muzzle, a long, bushy and ringed tail, and brown to red-brown fur. Coatimundis are diurnal, searching for food both on the ground and in the forest canopy during the day, frequently climbing to obtain fruits and dropping the undigested seeds in the soil when they poop. Coatis are omnivorous and will eat just about everything. Their diet may include frogs, lizards, small mammals, or birds and their eggs but most typically fruit and invertebrates. They have an incredible sense of smell and will dig in the ground for insects and small mammals. They can even smell insects behind the bark of trees, using their long claws to remove bark and tear apart rotting logs.

The females live in family groups, called troops or bands typically of 15-25 individuals but up to 30 or more, and work cooperatively to find food. They will take scents they find in their environment—weeds or flowers and even jaguar pee—and they will all rub it on their tails so they all smell alike, blending in with the environment and each other. Coatis walk with their tails held high to further spread their scent and, when climbing, their tail is incredibly helpful for balance. Like all procyonids, their ankles are double jointed and flexible which enables them to rotate them so they can quickly climb up and down trees head first.

His mom was found on the side of a road in Texas with her two babies, Tupi and his sister, who had remianed by her side. All three were brought into a local wildlife center. There were no injuries discovered on the mom so they suspected she might have ingested something toxic. They noted that all three were quite thin and dehydrated so thought it was possible that she had been ill for a while and was struggling to find food and water for her and her babies. Because they were not a native species, they could not be released. The mom and sister were sent to a zoo and Tupi came to us.

He is the best- and the worst- behaved animal. On some days, he will jump in your lap and let you cuddle for as long as you want. Other days, he will bite you so fast that you don’t even know it happened at first. He will then cover his eyes to look cute—such a typical coatimundi move! He loves to de-stuff any and all stuffed animals. He loves to climb and tear logs apart, looking for bugs. And he LOVES avocado more than any other food.

SPECIAL NEEDS | Tupi has had mild neurological issues for his entire life and also developed a chronic knee issue, called a luxating patella, which means his kneecap moves out of place. It is a common issue for dogs that jump a lot, like chihuahuas and Jack Russells. He jumps around a lot too, so we are monitoring and treating the condition.

Tupi loves toys that have multiple shapes—beads, blocks or similar items—that move so toddler toys and puzzle feeders are always enjoyed. He enjoys stuffed animals but they need to be heavy duty to withstand his sharp claws and teeth. Puzzle feeders and play structures give him new ways to utilize his space, providing new textures and challenges. Tupi really seems to enjoy baby and toddler toys that are designed to encourage children to develop their ability to manipulate objects with their hands. Baby activity items where they lay are placed on the ground and items dangle above are especially interesting as are toddler toys that move or make a sound. He also loves cat beds and warm, fuzzy fleece blankets in his den.