Adult coatis measure from head to the base of the tail, which can be as long as their bodies. Coatis are about tall at the shoulder and weigh between , about the size of a large
house cat. Males can become almost twice as large as females and have large, sharp
canine teeth. The measurements above relate to the white-nosed and South America coatis. The two species of mountain coati are smaller. All coatis share a slender head with an elongated, flexible, slightly upturned nose, small ears, dark feet, and a long non-
prehensile tail used for balance and signaling. Ring-tailed coatis have either a light brown or black coat, with a lighter underpart and a white-ringed tail in most cases. Coatis have a long brown tail with rings on it which are anywhere from starkly defined like a
raccoon's to very faint. As in raccoons but not
ring-tailed cats and
cacomistles, the rings go completely around the tail. Coatis often hold the tail erect; it is used as such to keep troops of coatis together in tall vegetation. The tip of the tail can be moved slightly on its own, as is the case with cats, but it is not prehensile as is that of the
kinkajou, another procyonid. Coatis have
bear- and raccoon-like paws and walk
plantigrade like raccoons and bears (on the soles of the feet, as do humans). Coatis have nonretractable claws. Coatis also are able to rotate their ankles beyond 180°, in common with raccoons and other procyonids (and others in the order Carnivora and rare cases among other mammals); they are therefore able to descend trees head first. (Other animals living in forests have acquired some or all of these properties through
convergent evolution, including members of the
mongoose,
civet,
weasel,
cat, and
bear families.) The coati snout is long and somewhat
pig-like—part of the reason for its nickname, the "hog-nosed raccoon". It is also extremely flexible and can rotate up to 60° in any direction. They use their noses to push objects and rub parts of their body. The facial markings include white markings around the eyes and on the ears and snout. Coatis have strong limbs to climb and dig and have a reputation for
intelligence, like their fellow
procyonid, the raccoon. Unlike the nocturnal raccoons, however, most coatis are
diurnal, although some may exhibit
cathemeral behavior. They prefer to sleep or rest in elevated places and niches, like the
rainforest canopy, in crudely built sleeping nests. ==Habitat and range==