Mountain Coati (Nasuella meridensis, Nasuella olivacea): Ringtail of Lofty Andean Highlands

Mountain coatis belong to the genus Nasuella within the raccoon family, Procyonidae. Scientists consider the mountain coati a sister lineage geographically sandwiched between two expressions of the genus Nasua.

• To the north of the north Andean mountain coati is the white-nosed coati’s northern neotropical homeland.
• To the northeast and south lies the brown-nosed coati’s central/southern neotropical domain.

Brown-nosed and white-nosed coatis overlap in enough habitat preferences and structural features to justify occupying one genus. They prefer such diverse geographical distributions and preserve such unique external traits as to warrant occupying different species. Brown-nosed and white-nosed coatis resemble one another more closely than the mountain coati. Mountain coatis – slightly but sufficiently – recall brown-nosed coatis to the inexperienced viewer.

Even for experienced viewers, identification issues arise over a mountain coati’s species. There in fact can be more than one kind of mountain coati. The genus Nasuella divides into two species:

• The eastern mountain coati, whose scientific name is Nasuella meridensis;
• The western mountain coati, Nasuella olivacea.

Both the eastern and the western mountain coati may be intended when the following common names are employed:

• Coatí andino, cuchucho andino, and cusumbo andino in Spanish;
• Dwarf coati and little coati in English.

The western mountain coati additionally responds to the common names of:

• Coatí quiteño, cuchucho quiteño, and cusumbo quiteño in Spanish;
• Quito coati in English.

The western mountain coati further subdivides into the subspecies Nasuella olivacea quitensis.

The head-and-body length of the mature mountain coati can hover around 14.17-15.35 inches (36-39 centimeters). Some sources describe the known maximum head-and-body length as reaching 31.5 inches (80 centimeters). The mountain coati’s tail length matures to a length about 50-65% of the head-to-rear length. The 6-8 ringed tail typically measures 7.87-9.45 inches (20-24 centimeters). The mature shoulder height may reach 26.38-29.53 inches (67-75 centimeters). The hair-covered, rounded, short ears realize mature lengths of 14.96-20.47 inches (38-52 centimeters). They represent a cuddly contrast to the mountain coati’s elongated, pointed snout.

Aggression, meal-time and vocalizations reveal 36 adult teeth portioned – to each side (left, right) of each jaw (lower, upper) as:

• Two canines;
• Three incisors;
• Two molars;
• Three premolars.

Mountain coatis exhibit darker or lighter variations of black, brown and grey. The face has no symmetrically rounded markings to accentuate the arboreal mammal’s ears, eyes, muzzle or snout. From head to rear, the mountain coati impresses viewers with the general uniformity of a black or grey to olive brown coat. Golden yellow-tipped, longer hairs regularly lighten a brown mountain coati’s coat. Darker colors predominate along:

• Legs, which may be black or dark grey;
• Tails, which showcase distinctly black or olive brown rings.

The eastern mountain coati tends toward:

• Lighter, paler colors;
• Shorter tail lengths;
• Smaller shapes, teeth and weights.

They additionally will differ from western mountain coatis in exhibiting a dark mid-dorsal stripe along the back.

Little coatis are native to the world’s longest continental mountain range, the Andes of western South America. Eastern dwarf coatis favor southwestern Venezuela’s Andean highlands. Western dwarf coatis inhabit the Andean highlands which traverse the Latin American countries of:

• Colombia and Ecuador;
• Peru, where they constitute one of the 21^st century’s scientific discoveries, with hither-unknown populations settled in the Apurímac-Cuzco area, 620+ miles (1,000+ kilometers) from the species’ known range.

In so doing, mountain coati ranges may overlap with those of brown-nosed coatis. Any overlap pertains to the same slopes at non-overlapping elevations.

• Eastern mountain coatis prefer altitudes of 6,600-13,000 feet (2,000-4,000 meters) above sea level.
• Western mountain coatis remove to elevations of 4,300-13,940 feet (1,300-4,250 meters).

Alpine tundra and cloud forests cover the landscapes in which a dwarf coati’s life unfurls. The term alpine tundra describes the type of vegetation that grows in what Spanish language-speakers call the páramo. High mountain vegetation mainly involves:

• Grasses;
• Rosette plants;
• Shrubs.

It is found between a mountain’s continuous forest and permanent snow lines. Such lofty elevations project a predominantly foggy, misty look. For example, the upper tree canopy in Andean fog forests reaches into low-lying clouds so that the tops are not visible from the ground. Frequent rainfall events and high moisture levels yield:

• Aerial flowering plants, such as bromeliads and orchids;
• Filmy ferns;
• Lichens and mosses;
• Stunted, thick-trunked trees such as alders, laurels, and oaks.

Little is known about the lifestyles of either the eastern or the western mountain coati. Researchers speculate that the low crowns and sharp crests that characterize a mountain coati’s teeth reflect a diet that is:  

• Higher in amphibians, arthropods, and small mammals and reptiles;
• Lower in fruits.

They suggest that female mountain coatis – who forage in bands -- consume more beetles, grubs and termites. They think that male mountain coatis – who forage alone – eat more frogs, lizards and mice. They understand from area farmers, hunters and trekkers that older females will bark alarm and send all males and juvenile females scampering up trees when such predators as boas, jaguars and raptors attempt to interfere with meal-time foraging.

Andean mountain coatis appreciate spending as much time as possible in platform nests in a tree’s upper canopy. They contribute to tree health by eating bark-dwelling arthropods. Their powerful limbs and reversible ankles nevertheless encourage them to descend trunks, head-first and squirrel-like. On the ground, they perform the additional environmentally-friendly roles of:

• Aerating the soil by digging – which leaves as many as 5,000+ fine holes over a 35-square-mile (90.65-square-kilometer) area and prevents claw overgrowth -- for sub-soil and surface-level animals;
• Controlling population levels and predator-prey interactions through natural enmity toward amphibians, arthropods, and small mammals and reptiles;
• Dispersing seeds;
• Pollinating plants through nectar-licking.

Mountain coati behavior in non-foraging matters – such as breeding, gestating, and kit-raising – remains mysterious.

Local farmers, hunters and trekkers are traditional eyewitness sources to mountain coati behavior. Historically, they nevertheless face challenges in obtaining information since dwarf coatis usually avoid interactions outside their band and their predator-prey obligations. But the situation inexorably is changing because of agro-industry’s conversion of:

• Cloud forest lands into agriculture;
• Páramo lands into pine forests.

The development of ever higher mountain slopes in fact may be responsible for habitat degradation and losses that are estimated at over 36% in terms of traditional Andean mountain coati-dwelling zones. It may result in higher visibility for the elusive dwarf coati. Little coati interactions with farmers already seem to be on the increase since foraging now includes farm animals and crops.

The future depends upon the dwarf coati’s strongest advocate and fur-and-meat-hunting predator: humankind. Optimism hinges on:

• Colombia’s Bioparque La Reserva at Cota;
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Mammals Curator Kristofer Helgen’s research.

Such wildlife-urban interfaces impact distances between mountain-dwellers and mountain-lovers. They inspire stresses unknown to previous time-dwellers. They simultaneously jump-start real-timing mountain coati life-stories beyond excellent “ghosts" in:

• Chicago’s Field Museum;
• D.C.’s Smithsonian Museum;
• London’s Natural History Museum;
• New York’s American Natural History Museum;
• Quito’s Museo de Zoología;
• Stockholm’s Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet.

They offer fitting follow-ups to Ulisse Aldrovandi’s (1522-1605) and John Edward Gray’s (1800-1875) pioneering depictions and descriptions. For tree-hugging, mountain-loving dwarf coatis, they reinforce Clintonian beliefs “in a place called Hope” (July 16, 1992).

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Guatemala: Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flickr_-_archer10_(Dennis)_-_Guatemala-1733.jpg

16th century watercolor of mountain coati by Italian Renaissance naturalist, botanist and entomologist Ulisse Aldrovandi (September 11, 1522 – May 4, 1605)
Aldrovandi described the mountain coati as belonging to Tasso marino and Tassus marinus.
Ulisse Aldrovandi, Tavole di Animali, tomo VII-2, folio 87r: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ulisse_Aldrovandi_-_Mountain_Coati.jpg

Distribution data from IUCN Red List: Chermundy/IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, species assessors and the authors of the spatial data, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mountain_Coati_area.png

Páramo de Rabanal, Boyacá, central Colombia: Patricio Mena Vásconez, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rabanal.JPG

Mojanda caldera: Lee Siebert, Smithsonian Institution, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mojanda.jpg

Ulisse Aldrovandi, De quadrupedibus digitatis viviparis (1637), Lib. II, page 267: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ulisse_Aldrovandi_-_Mountain_Coati_-_WGA00141.jpg; Public Domain, via Wellcome Collection @ https://wellcomecollection.org/works/dhj55n53/items?canvas=275

Ritratto di Ulisse Aldrovandi ("Portrait of Ulisse Aldrovandi"): ca. 1582-1585 oil on canvas attributed to Agostino Carracci (bapt. Aug. 16, 1557-Feb. 23, 1602) Accademia Carrara, Bergamo, Lombardy Region, northwest Italy: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ritratto_di_Ulisse_Aldrovandi,_Agostino_Carracci_(attributed).jpg

Chimborazo foothills, central Ecuador: Patricio Mena Vásconez, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Erosioenparamo.jpg

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