huge creature that ranges throughout South America as
far south as Argentina. It is listed by CITES as rare and
endangered over much of its range, and is extinct from
some parts of it, all due to overhunting.Neotropical Raccoons and Weasels
The familiar Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor; plate 16-
44), raider of garbage cans throughout much of North
America, ranges southward as far as Panama. Should
you be driving along a Central American road at night
or camping inside a rain forest, do not be shocked if this
black- masked, ring- tailed beast makes an appearance.
Raccoons are members of the family Procyonidae,
which also includes the coatis (or coatimundi), the
Kinkajou, and the Olingo (discussed below). In
addition to the Northern Raccoon, the Neotropics host
another Procyon species, the Crab- eating Raccoon (P.
cancrivorus), which ranges throughout Central and
South America as far south as northeastern Argentina.
This animal is similar in appearance to the Northern
Raccoon, but its legs and feet are darker and its body is
more slender. Crab- eaters frequent swamps and other
aquatic areas and are generally nocturnal. Northern
Raccoons overlap in range with Crab- eating Raccoons
in Central America. However, where these two similar
species overlap, Northern Raccoons frequent coastal
mangrove swamps, while Crab- eating Raccoons are
more partial to interior riverine areas.
Coatis (Nasua spp.), sometimes called coatimundis,
are pointy- nosed, familiar diurnal denizens of forests
throughout the Neotropics. There are two species, the
White- nosed Coati (N. narica; plate 16- 45), which
ranges from southern Arizona and New Mexico
through Central America and into northern South
America along the western side of the Andes, and the
South American Coati (N. nasua; plate 16- 46), found
throughout Amazonia east of the Andes as far south
as northern Argentina. Coatis have broad habitat
tolerances, and can be found in the Andes, in deserts,
and in savannas, as well as rain forest. Coatis usually
travel in small bands mostly comprising females
and young. The males tend to be solitary, except
during breeding time. Coatis typically shuffle along,
resembling streamlined raccoons with sharply pointed
snouts, slender, grayish- brown bodies, and a long slim
tail, usually with faint rings (you must be close to see
this) and typically held upright, the way a cat holds its
tail. Though their tails are not prehensile, coatis arePlate 16- 45. The White- nosed Coati has extensive white
around its snout; it is common in Central America. Photo by
Jill Lapato.Plate 16- 44. Northern Raccoon. Photo by John Kricher.chapter 16 from monkeys to tarantulas: endless eccentricities 339