Coatimundi are a member of the raccoon family and are found in South America.

Coatimundi are diurnal animals, and they live both on the ground and in trees. They. typically sleep in trees. When foraging, they search for fruit in trees high in the canopy and use their snouts to poke through crevices to find animal prey on the ground. They also search for animal prey by turning over rocks on the ground or ripping open logs with their claws. Females typically live in large groups, called bands, consisting of 15 to 30 animals. Males, however, are usually solitary. Solitary males were originally considered a separate species due to their different social habits and were called “coatimundis,” a term still sometimes used today. Neither bands of females nor solitary males defend a unique territory, and territories therefore overlap. South American coatis communicate with the help of soft whining sounds and alarm calls that sound as load woofs and clicks. When an alarm call is sounded, coatis typically climb trees, and then drop down to the ground and disperse.

Coatimundi are omnivorous and primarily eat fruit, invertebrates, other small animals, and bird eggs. Their diet includes larval beetles, centipedes, scorpions, spiders, ants, lizards, termites, rodents, chickens, and even carrion when it is available.

Coatimuni are not legal to own in Wyoming without the proper permitting in place prior to possession.