COATI
			Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Species: Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Procyonidae Nasua nasua (ring-tailed) Nasua narica (brown)

The coati is related to the raccoon. They reach up to 5 feet in length (1.4 m), of which 2.5 feet (.75 m) is a striped tail which is generally held vertically with the tip curled over. They have small ears and a flat forehead, which runs down to a long and mobile snout that extends beyond the jaw. The general color is reddish-brown to black, with yellowish underparts, and black and gray face markings.

The two main species are the ring-tailed coati which inhabits the northern parts of South America, and the brown coati, which lives in Central America and is occasionally seen in the southern United States.

Male coatis are solitary, but the females and their young live in bands of up to 20. They travel through the forest foraging for fruit and small animals. Breeding takes place in the dry season, when each band is joined by a male. The young are born in tree nests.