Coatimundi - IV

One more "5" Star Coatimundi photo today. This one was a young Coati, (mother was still around with two other youngsters). But this one was very curious. Maybe I was the first human he had ever seen and didn't know what I was. Very "sweet" looking. I was able to get several photos of him while all the others ran away. The event happen in the Galiuro Mountains of Southeastern Arizona.

White Nosed Coati

Coatimundi III

Here is another case where a Coati came to me. I was sitting at Cave Creek Ranch in the Chiricahua Mountains photographing birds when this Coati came wandering through. As you can see he looked at me, let me take quite a few photos, and then climbed a nearby tree and started eating from the bird feeder. Love the detail and the expression on his face.

White Nosed Coati

Coatimundi II

Back to my "5" Star Photos and the Coatimundi (White Nosed Coati). In some cases you search and search and can't seem to find what you are looking for. And, in other cases  ... they come to you. Such is the case with today's photo. I had been searching for a couple of hours for Coatis in the Galiuro Mountains of Southeastern Arizona. I got to an area where I had seen them before but none were around (that I knew of). So, I decided it was time for lunch and sat down on a fallen tree. About half way through my lunch I heard a noise behind me. I turned around and this is exactly what I saw:

White Nosed Coati

I had my camera next to me so just picked it up and turn around while still sitting on the tree trunk. After about 10 seconds of starring at each other he ran off. It was a wonderful 10 seconds.  And, produce a wonderful photo.

Coatimundi

We come to one of my favorite animals to photograph -- the Coatimundi or White-Nosed Coati. This is a wonderful, curious animal slightly larger than its cousin, the raccoon. Males can weigh up to 27 pounds and 44 inches in length (24 inches of that the tail). The Coati inhabits wooded areas in both dry and wet climates. In Arizona they tend to like riparian areas with access to water. Their range is from Southeast Arizona and Southwest New Mexico, throughout Mexico and Central America to Northwestern Columbia. They are omnivores, preferring small vertebrates, fruits, carrion, insects, and eggs. They can climb trees easily, where the tail is used for balance. I have seen them move from tree top to tree top just like squirrels.  They are most often on the ground foraging. Their predators include boas, raptors bobcats, mountain lions, and jaguars. They readily adapt to human presence; like raccoons, they will raid campsites and trash receptacles (More so in Mexico and Central America). While the raccoon and ringtail are nocturnal, coatis are active day or night. They will sleep  in caves,  high in trees or hallowed out tree trunks that have fallen.  Adult males are solitary, but females and sexually immature males form social groups. Several times I have seen groups of 15-20 of them, although reports of 40 or more exist. They are quite intelligent and can be domesticated easily. This photo was taken in the Galiuro Mountains of Southeasstern Arizona.

Coatimundi

Animals in Trees - Part III

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: