LA SELVA-BRAULIO CARRILLO MAMMALS 



133 



Nasua narica 

 Brown-nosed Coati, Pizote 



Northern or brown-nosed coatis range from the southwestern United States 

 through much of Central America to northwestern Colombia (Fig. 103). Coatis 

 are extremely adaptable and are found in a wide variety of habitats including deserts, 

 tropical dry forests, and tropical wet forests. The subspecies Nasua narica narica 

 is found in Costa Rica from sea level to at least 3,500 m. Originally, coatis probably 

 occurred in all natural terrestrial habitats in Costa Rica. The correct scientific name 

 for the Central and South American coatis has varied over the years as several 

 species and subspecies of Nasua have been described (Honacki et al. 1982). We 

 concur with Decker (in litt.) in recognizing only two species of coatis; Nasua narica, 

 the northern or brown-nosed coati in Central America, and N. nasua, the white- 

 nosed coati, a widely distributed species in South America. The Cozumel Island 

 coati is probably best considered as an endemic insular subspecies, N. n. nelsoni, 

 of the Central American species. 



Coatis are the most social of the procyonids. Adult males are solitary, but 

 females and their offspring live in highly organized social groups. Coatis, unlike 

 other procyonids, are active primarily during the day. They are omnivorous, con- 

 suming a wide variety of fruits, insects, and any smaller vertebrates that they are 

 able to capture, including snakes, frogs, birds, bird eggs, and rodents. An excellent 

 long-term study of the ecology and social behavior of coatis on Barro Colorado 

 Island, Panama, was provided by Kaufmann (1962). The biology of coatis in Cen- 

 tral America was reviewed recently by Kaufmann (1983). 



In April 1986, we sighted lone coatis at 200 and 300 m in Parque Nacional 

 Braulio Carrillo. Three coatis were seen together at 500 m, and the characteristic 

 tracks of coatis were observed at 700 and 2,100 m. Coatis have been observed 

 on numerous occasions at La Selva; there are records of sightings year round. The 

 solitary adult males are seen most frequently. As many as 56 individuals have been 

 seen in a group. Juveniles were observed in January, March, July, August, and 

 September. They have been observed eating the fruits of Dipteryx panamensis and 

 Trophis racemosa. In April 1986, we observed a group of 36 coatis eating the fruits 

 of Dipteryx. Pringle et al. (1984) observed coatis in the Zona in January 1983. 



Potos flavus 

 Kinkajou, Martilla or Mico de Noche 



Kinkajous are found from tropical and subtropical southern Mexico through 

 Central America to the Mato Grosso of Brazil (Fig. 104). The subspecies Potos 

 flavus chiriquensis occurs throughout Central America to the Darien of Panama. 

 A second Costa Rican subspecies, P. f. arborensis, was described by Goodwin 

 (1938) for eastern Costa Rica; however, Kortlucke (1973) demonstrated that this 

 subspecies was based on age-dependent characters and thus is not taxonomically 

 valid. 



There are numerous reports of kinkajous by researchers at La Selva. They 

 have been found there year around. In April 1981, several kinkajous were observed 



