The Coatimundi is a curious little animal four and a half feet long and weighing between 10 and 25 pounds. The male is usually twice the size of the female. The "White-nosed Coati" is found in desert mountain canyons near water, with the largest US populations in the southernmost mountains of Arizona. Coatis are carnivores eating insects, ants, grubs, etc. They often travel in groups of up to 25. They typically sleep in trees, but unlike their cousins (racoons and ringtail cats) they are diurnal which makes them easier to find and photograph. Here is a little guy that I found sound asleep in the tree in the Galiuro Mountains of Arizona:
Another tree dweller is the Common Porcupine. I must say that the name Common Porcupine seems a bit of a misnomer, since he is not often seen. Up to three feet long, the Porcupine can weigh as much as 35 pounds. Porcupines are herbivores eating leaves, twigs, and green plants. He is nocturnal which may explain why he is less seldom seen. Porcupines have a very wide range of habitat from sea level to 12,000 ft. They can be found throughout North America. This photo was taken near Dry Falls, Washington. It was early evening and he was eating the leaves from this tree:
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