Nasuella


Mountain coatis are two species of procyonid mammals from the genus Nasuella. Unlike the larger coatis from the genus Nasua, mountain coatis only weigh and are endemic to the north Andean highlands in South America.

Genetics and taxonomy

evidence indicates that the genus Nasua is only monophyletic if it also includes the mountain coatis. Based on cytochrome b sequences, Nasua nasua is the sister taxon to a clade consisting of Nasua narica plus both species of Nasuella.
Until recently only a single species with three subspecies was recognized. In 2009 this species was split into two species, the eastern mountain coati from Venezuela, and the western mountain coati from Colombia and Ecuador.

Range and description

Externally, the two species of mountain coatis are quite similar, but the eastern mountain coati is overall smaller, somewhat shorter-tailed on average, has markedly smaller teeth, a paler olive-brown pelage, and usually a dark mid-dorsal stripe on the back. Both are found in cloud forest and páramo; at altitudes of for the eastern mountain coati, and for the western mountain coati.
A population discovered in southern Peru has tentatively been identified as the western mountain coati, but may represent an undescribed taxon.

Rare and little known

They are very poorly known, and the "combined species" has been classified as data deficient by the IUCN. Their behavior largely appears to resemble that of the better-known Nasua coatis, although the mountain coatis feed less on fruit.
Unlike the Nasua coatis, mountain coatis are very rare in captivity. Among ISIS registered institutions, only three zoos reported that they had mountain coatis in early 2011, but at least one of these appears to be a case of misidentification. A mountain coati that was confiscated from poachers is kept at Bioparque la Reserva in Cota, Colombia.