Coati - Camera Critter

Here are pictures of the coati we saw on our walk in Sabino Canyon on Monday. From a distance it looked like a monkey of some sort in the tree. The long tail is used for balancing, but it is non-prehensile.
We did the best we could photographing the animal with the bright sun behind it. We watched it for about a half hour. It seemed comfortable being observed by people standing on the paved road.
White-nosed Coatis belong to the raccoon family. The park ranger said this was probably an adult male because it was large and alone. Female and juvenile coatis are usually found in groups of 4 to 25.
We didn't hear any sounds coming from the coati. But they are known to communicate with chirps, snorts and grunts.


The long, slightly upturned snout is flexible, and can be rotated 60 degrees in any direction. Their ankles can rotate beyond 180 degrees.


It was eating these tiny orange berries from the Netleaf Hackberry tree.
Coatis live in wooded areas from southern Arizona and New Mexico, through Mexico and Costa Rica to Columbia.


Here's a short coati video without sound:


This is my first time participating in the Camera Critters meme for people who love animals. For more pictures of critters, please visit Camera Critters.