| Nasuella | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Western mountain coati,Nasuella olivacea | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Procyonidae |
| Subtribe: | Nasuina |
| Genus: | Nasuella Hollister, 1915 |
| Type species | |
| Nasua olivacea meridensis[1] Thomas, 1901 | |
| Species | |
 | |
| Approximate combined range of the two mountain coatis | |
Mountain coatis are two species ofprocyonid mammals from the genusNasuella. Unlike the largercoatis from the genusNasua, mountain coatis only weigh 1.0–1.5 kilograms (2.2–3.3 lb) and areendemic to the northAndean highlands in South America.[2][3]
Genetic evidence indicates that the genusNasua is onlymonophyletic if it also includes the mountain coatis. Based oncytochrome b sequences,Nasua nasua is thesister taxon to aclade consisting ofNasua narica plus both species ofNasuella.[4]
Until recently only a single species with threesubspecies was recognized.[5] In 2009 this species was split into two species, theeastern mountain coati (N. meridensis) fromVenezuela, and thewestern mountain coati (N. olivacea, with subspeciesquitensis) fromColombia andEcuador.[4]After a genetic analysis in 2020, theAmerican Society of Mammalogists currently considersN. meridensis a synonym ofN. olivacea.[6]
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 palerolive-brownpelage, and usually a dark mid-dorsal stripe on the back (versus morerufescent or blackish, and usually without a dark mid-dorsal stripe in the western mountain coati).[4] Both are found incloud forest andpáramo; at altitudes of 2,000–4,000 metres (6,600–13,100 ft) for the eastern mountain coati, and 1,300–4,250 metres (4,270–13,940 ft) for the western mountain coati.[4]
A population discovered in southernPeru (more than 1,000 km or 620 mi south of the previous distribution limit) has tentatively been identified as the western mountain coati, but may represent anundescribed taxon.[7]
They are very poorly known, and the "combined species" (when only one species was recognized) has been classified asdata deficient by theIUCN.[3] Their behavior largely appears to resemble that of the better-knownNasua coatis, although the mountain coatis feed less on fruit.[2][8]
Unlike theNasua coatis, mountain coatis are very rare in captivity. AmongISIS registered institutions, only threezoos (all in the USA) reported that they had mountain coatis in early 2011,[9] but at least one of these appears to be a case of misidentification.[10] A mountain coati that was confiscated frompoachers is kept at Bioparque la Reserva inCota, Colombia.[10]
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