1) This animal moves around on four skinny legs with furry paws like tiny hands (manos), eagerly padding around through leaves and rocks. 2) It uses its long nose and mouth to dig up dirt and sniff underground for tasty treats. 3) About the size of a loaf of bread, this brown-furred mammal blends into tree bark and brush because of the black and white markings around its face and tail. 4) It looks so cute that you just want to scoop it up into your arms for a hug, but it is very speedy, loves climbing trees, and with a quick smile, it will show you a set of very pointy white teeth!
Any guesses? This animal is called a coatimundi, or a "coati" for short.
We were walking down a small path to go visit the ruins of Tulum, when out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of one of these fluffy friends. At first, I was very excited, and I moved closer to the coati to get a better look, but then three more came out from behind the trees, and I realized it was probably a good idea to give these wild animals some space! As we continued walking through the ruins, and even as we were leaving, more came out from the jungle to say hello and to look for food.
The coati is native to México, as well as South and Central America and even parts of the United States (Arizona, New Mexico and Texas). The name coatimundi comes from Brazil and just like their wide range in habitat, they are known to live in many different types of environments. Some coati, like the ones I saw in Tulum, live in humid jungle areas, while others can live in deserts or even on snowy mountain tops.
