Coati-People: The Endearing Tree Dwellers

Many people may not be familiar with the coati-people, but they must know about our famous cousins, the raccoon-people. Like them, we are similar in size to a large house cat-person, have a striped tail and black mask across our eyes, and like to hang out on tree branches. As a species we consist of four large tribes, and are endemic only on the American continent.

Our nose is long and flexible, and we can rotate it up to 60 degrees in any direction! Our pig-like snout gives us not only the nickname “the hog-nosed raccoon” but also an excellent sense of smell, which helps us to sniff out food under leaves and in cracks. Our tails cannot grasp objects, but they help us to maintain our balance when climbing trees. We also use our long tails to keep track of each other when we travel together through thick vegetation.

Our coati ladies live together in an extended family, which can be anywhere from four to thirty people, and sometimes even more than that. They are quite busy all day long as they support one another in their day-to-day lives. They work together to look after the young, find food, and keep a watchful eye for danger. During rest periods, they groom each other to establish strong family bonds. The families are full of love and energy, and they enjoy their social lives very much!

We coati-people play a vital role in the ecosystem. We help to disperse the seeds in the fruit we consume, which is important for the survival of those species of trees. Furthermore, when we forage on the ground, we use our long snouts to move dead leaves around, which aerate the forest soil, increasing the amount of oxygen, water, and nutrients that reach the plants’ roots enhancing their growth. We are important pollinators as well. Since we are highly adaptive, social, and regenerate lives by spreading plant seeds and pollen, we have been revered by humans for thousands of years. The ancient Mayans worshipped us, believing that we could talk and possess superpowers.