The common nose (lat. Nasua nasua) is a funny predatory mammal of the Raccoon family (lat. Procyonidae), reminiscent of a fox. It lives in Central and South America. Local Indians adore this animal.
Nosukhi are distinguished by their friendly and sociable character. They are easily tamed and love to play with people.
Farmers treat them more coolly because of their habit of periodically visiting chicken coops for young chickens, so they set traps for them and shoot them on the approaches to their property. Fortunately, there are still a lot of these beauties and their population is not in danger.
Spreading
The habitat of the nosefish extends from the southern states of the United States to the northern provinces of Uruguay and Argentina. The animals are perfectly adapted to life in a wide variety of natural conditions. They thrive in tropical forests and dry savannas. In the mountains they can live at altitudes up to 2500 m above sea level and are not found only in the High Andes.
Most of all they like to settle in coniferous and deciduous forests of the temperate climate zone. Noses can easily endure both summer heat and winter cold.
Behavior
Common nostrils are active throughout the day. For the night, animals roost on thick tree branches. Early in the morning, without waiting for dawn, they descend to the ground. After the morning toilet, which consists of thoroughly cleaning the fur, they go fishing. They go hunting in high spirits, always holding their tail up.
The animal searches for food by carefully rummaging through fallen leaves and turning over stones and branches. Its diet includes spiders, earthworms, various insects, crabs, lizards, small rodents and frogs.
Noses love to feast on ripe fruits, plucking them from branches with their paws or picking them up on the ground. They rest at noon only on the hottest days.
Females with cubs live in groups of up to 20 individuals, while males prefer to stay apart in splendid isolation. Some males try to join groups of females, but are usually met with fierce resistance.
Nosushi communicate with each other using a rich set of sounds, signal poses and developed facial expressions.
Their natural enemies are boa constrictors, birds of prey, jaguars and. In case of danger, they usually try to hide in the nearest hole or hole.
To escape from predators, they can run for up to three hours at a time at speeds of up to 30 km/h. On calm days, nosuhs sedately and leisurely walk around their home areas (40-300 hectares), covering from 2 to 7 km per day.
Reproduction
During the mating season, females become more docile and allow one male into their group. To attract a handsome man, all the ladies begin to intensively and for a long time clean their fur, making an indelible impression on the wandering gentleman with their unheard-of cleanliness. By the end of the season, the male is expelled from the group.
Pregnancy lasts from 7 to 8 weeks. Approximately 10-12 days before giving birth, the female leaves the group and begins building a nest at the top of the tree. Childbirth usually occurs on days 74-77.
3-5 blind, deaf and toothless cubs are born. The body length of a newborn baby is 25-30 cm and weighs from 100 to 180 g. On the tenth day, babies begin to see clearly, and on the fourteenth they begin to hear. In the third week of their life, they make their first forays from their mother’s nest and begin to explore the surrounding area.
Mothers take very good care of their offspring, constantly licking and feeding them.
At six weeks old, the cubs can already follow their mother everywhere. She takes them to her group, where all the other females very joyfully welcome the new arrival and begin to take care of him.
At 2 months, babies acquire a full set of baby teeth and gradually switch to regular solid food. The noses become sexually mature at the age of two.
Description
The head is elongated and narrow. The long muzzle ends with a movable nose. The ears are rounded and small. Close-set small round brown eyes.
The tail is covered with thick short fur. When walking, the animal rests on the entire width of its paws. The toes are armed with strong claws.
The lifespan of the common moth in the wild is about 14 years. They live at home for 17 years or more.
The name coati or coatimundi is borrowed from the Tupian Indian language. The prefix "coati" means "belt" and "tim" means "nose".
Area: South American nosoha is found in the tropical regions of South America: from Colombia and Venezuela to Uruguay, northern Argentina, and it is also found in Ecuador.
Description: The head is narrow with a slightly upward, elongated and very flexible nose. The ears are small and round, with white rims on the inside. The fur is short, thick and fluffy. The tail is long and is used for balance when moving. The tail has light yellowish rings alternating with black or brown rings.
The South American nosefish has short and powerful legs. The ankles are very mobile, thanks to which animals can climb down from the tree with both the front and rear ends of the body. The claws on the toes are long, the soles are bare. Thanks to its strong clawed paws, the nosuha successfully uses them to dig out insect larvae from under rotten logs.
The canines are very sharp, and the molars and premolars have high and sharp edges.
The dental formula is i3/3, c1/1, p4/4, m2/2, 40 teeth in total.
Color: The South American nosoha is characterized by wide variability in color not only within its range, but even among babies from the same litter.
Typically, the body color varies from orange or reddish to dark brown. The muzzle is usually a uniform brown or black color. Pale, lighter spots are located above, below and behind the eyes.
The neck is yellowish. Paws - from dark brown to black. The tail is two-colored, the rings are sometimes faintly visible.
Size: Body length - 73-136 cm (average 104.5 cm). Tail length - 32-69 cm. Height at withers 30 cm.
Weight: 3-6 kg (average 4.5 kg).
Lifespan: In nature 7-8 years. The maximum life expectancy in captivity reached 17 years and 8 months.
Voice: Females use barking vocalizations to alert their clan members to the presence of danger. They also make whimpering sounds to keep the young close to them during the weaning process.
Habitat: From scrubland to primary evergreen rain forest.
Nosuh can be found in lowland forests, wooded river areas, dense bushes and rocky areas. Thanks to human influence, they now prefer secondary forests and forest edges. On the eastern and western slopes of the Andes mountains they are found up to 2500 meters above sea level.
Enemies: Jaguars, pumas, ocelots, jaguarundis, as well as large birds of prey, boa constrictors. Hunted by humans for meat.
Food: South American bats are primarily omnivores and typically seek out fruits and invertebrates. They eat eggs, beetle larvae and other insects, scorpions, centipedes, spiders, ants, termites, lizards, small mammals, rodents, and even carrion when it is available to them.
They can be found in landfills, where they search through human garbage and select anything edible from it. Sometimes South American roaches eat chickens from local farmers.
Behavior: Usually active during the day. Animals spend most of their active time foraging for food, and at night they sleep in trees, which also serve to make a den and give birth to offspring.
When the noses are threatened on the ground, they run into the trees; when predators threaten in the tree, they easily run to the end of the branch of one tree, and then jump to the lower branch of the same or even another tree.
An analysis of the structure of the eyes of the South American nose has shown that they contain a special layer, which indicates that their daytime activity has evolved from a nocturnal ancestor. In addition, it was established that the nose has color vision. Unlike kinkajou ( Potos flavus), the South American nose demonstrates the ability to distinguish shades of colors.
Nosukhi are good climbers and swimmers. They walk slowly on the ground, although they can gallop over short distances. Their average movement speed is approximately 1 m/s.
The anal glands have a special structure, and they are unique among Carnivora. They are a glandular area located along the upper edge of the anus, containing a series of bursae that are opened by four or five incisions on the sides. The fatty secretion released from these glands is used to mark territory.
Social structure: Female South American noses live in groups of 4-20 individuals, sometimes up to 30 animals. Such a group includes several mature females, the remaining members are their immature cubs. These groups are very mobile, as noses move a lot in search of food. Males lead a solitary lifestyle and only join family groups of females during the mating season. Soon after mating they leave the group.
Each family group has its own territory, which is usually about 1 km in diameter. The home ranges of different groups may overlap. South American moths in such groups participate in social care and are more protected from enemies than solitary individuals.
Reproduction: During the mating season, one male is accepted into the group of females and young people. All mature females living in the group mate with him.
The period of raising offspring is confined to the time of fruit ripening.
Breeding season/period: October-March, young people are born in April-June.
Puberty: In females at 2 years, in males - about 3 years.
Pregnancy: 74-77 days.
Offspring: In a litter, the South American nosoha usually gives birth to 3-7 (on average 5) cubs.
The female gives birth to her offspring in a den, which she builds in isolated tree hollows, during which time she leaves her social group.
Newborn cubs are helpless: they have no fur, they are blind and weigh only 75-80 grams. The eyes open at about 10 days. At the age of 24 days, young noses can already walk and focus their eyes. At 26 days, the cubs are able to climb; they switch to dense food at the age of 4 months.
When the cubs are five to six weeks old, the female returns to her family group.
Benefit/harm for humans: South American beetles help control populations of some pest species. They (as prey) provide food for a number of predators, and are probably important in the dispersal of seeds of some plant species.
Sometimes they cause damage while harvesting fruits; they are also known to attack poultry.
Population/Conservation Status: In Uruguay, South American noses are protected by Appendix III of the CITES Convention.
The main threats to this species are invasion of its habitats (clearing of forests for mining, extraction of timber, etc.) and hunting.
There are currently ten recognized subspecies: Nasua nasua boliviensis, Nasua nasua candace, Nasua nasua dorsalis, Nasua nasua manium, Nasua nasua montana, Nasua nasua nasua, Nasua nasua quichua, Nasua nasua solitaria, Nasua nasua spadicea, Nasua nasua vittata.
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Many animals get their name from their appearance, habits or behavior. In this case, nosuha is no exception.
What does a nose look like?
The appearance of this animal fully corresponds to its name. Nosuha has an elongated muzzle, which ends in a narrow, but very mobile and flexible nose. The tail, tapering towards the end, also has a decent length. When moving, it is always carried straight, although the uppermost tip of the tail is slightly curved.
The total body length of this animal can vary from 80 cm to 1 meter 30 cm, with almost half of it being the tail.
The height at the withers reaches 29 cm. The average weight of a female nose is 3 - 5 kg, but males weigh twice as much.
The color of the nose on the upper side of the body is black or brownish with a gray tint, and the bottom is whitish. In addition, the white color is indicated in the form of spots below and above each eye, on the cheeks, and also on the throat. The tail is decorated with rings of both dark and light shades. It is the presence of spots on the face and the color of the fur that are, in their own way, the only characteristics of the physical property by which other types of noses are distinguished.
The average weight of a female nose is 3 - 5 kg. Where does Nosuha live?
Individuals of this species are widespread in the forests of South, North and Central America, and can also be found in Arizona and Colombia.
Nosuha lifestyle
The white-nosed nose can be solitary, but no one prevents individuals of this species from gathering in a group in which the total number of animals reaches 40 units. One such group may include young males and females, and males who have reached puberty join them only for the mating period.
Each male secures his territory. To mark boundaries, male nostrils secrete a secretion from the anal glands, which they apply to the surface of various substrates when they rub their bellies against them. In addition, the occupied territory can also be marked with urine. When an alien invades, defending their territory, the noses enter into a fight, using claws and fangs.
An interesting feature of these animals is that adult males of this species can be active not only during the day, but also at night, but the rest only during the day. In hot weather, noses prefer to hide in shady places. When the heat subsides, the noses go hunting. The animal presses its prey to the ground and then kills it. When hunting, the nose can travel a distance of up to 2 km.
Young people love to spend time playing games and have noisy fights among themselves. When night falls, animals climb almost to the tops of trees, thus escaping from most predators.
The sounds made by these animals are quite varied. They are similar to: grunting, chirping, snoring, as well as screaming and whimpering.
Under natural conditions, these animals can live 7 years, but in captivity this period increases almost 2 times.
Nosokha nutrition
The white-nosed nose is called a coati. The main food for the nose is small animals: frogs, snakes, rodents, lizards, chicks, insects and even land crabs, but on occasion they do not refuse bird eggs and carrion. In addition, noses also eat plants, their fruits, some parts of roots, and sometimes nuts. They love to eat the fruits of bearberry and prickly pear.
Reproduction
During the breeding season, which occurs from January to March, males join the general groups. They begin to actively fight for possession of the female. The opponent is shown his teeth, and in addition he assumes a threatening pose - raising, lifting up the end of his muzzle on his hind legs. Only the strongest dominant has the right to remain in the group to mate with females. After fertilization, the females expel the male, as he behaves quite aggressively towards the babies.
Before giving birth, the pregnant female leaves the group and is engaged in arranging a den for future cubs. Hollow trees become a place for birth, but sometimes a shelter is chosen among stones, in a wooded canyon or in a rocky niche.
Pregnancy in a nose lasts 77 days. The number of babies in a litter can vary from 2 to 6. The weight of a newborn cub is 100 – 180 grams. All responsibility and education falls on the female. Little noses feed on mother's milk for 4 months and remain with the female until the time comes for her to prepare for the next birth of offspring.
After 11 days, the newborns’ eyes open; for several more days the babies remain in the shelter, after which the female brings them to the general group.
Taxonomy
Russian name – Nosukha (coati)
Latin name - Nasua nasua
English name - South American coati, ring-tailed coati, Brown-nosed coati
Family – Raccoonidae ( Procyonidae)
Rod – Nosuhi ( Nasua)
These South American raccoons got their name from their elongated nose, which, together with the front part of the upper lip, forms a movable proboscis.
Status of the species in nature
The species is listed in the International Red Book as being of least concern - UICN (LC), as it has a wide range and is common in places with unmodified biotopes. Population densities vary greatly between regions. There are no serious threats, but the species' numbers are likely to decline gradually as a result of hunting by local residents and deforestation, leading to loss of habitat and reduction in range.
Species and man
The local name for Nosukh "Coati" is believed to be derived from the language of the Tupian Indians. Kua means "belt" and Tim- nose, and in general the name reflects the habit of animals to sleep with their nose buried in their stomach. The animals received their Russian and Latin names thanks to their movable, elongated nose.
Residents of places where nosuhs live are sympathetic to sociable animals. True, the habit of visiting chicken coops forces peasants to set traps on them and shoot them.
Distribution and habitats
Nosohus are widespread mainly in South America from Colombia and Venezuela in the north to Uruguay and northern Argentina in the south. They live mainly in tropical forests, bush thickets, semi-deserts, and are found in the foothills and mountain forests of the eastern and western slopes of the Andes, rising to a height of up to 2500 meters above sea level.
Appearance
Compared to other raccoons, noses are quite large animals. Their body length is from 40 to 70 cm. Tail length is from 30 to 70 cm. Height at withers is 30 cm. Body weight is from 3 to 6 kg.
A characteristic feature of the nose is a narrow head with a highly elongated, movable nose. The ears are small and rounded. The tail is long, rather thin, with black and light rings.
The body is covered with reddish-brown fur, although the coloring can be darker or lighter even among cubs in the same litter. The muzzle is dark brown or black. There are light spots around the eyes and on the throat.
The paws are not very high, with long sensitive fingers and long claws, with the help of which the animal not only climbs deftly, but also digs the ground, digging out insect larvae. The hind limbs are longer than the front ones and have movable ankles, which allow the nose to descend from trees upside down. The nose moves on the ground, resting on the palms of its front paws and the feet of its hind legs.
Lifestyle and social behavior
Nosukhi are mainly forest animals that lead a diurnal lifestyle. They are great at climbing trees and jumping from branch to branch. They spend the night in the trees. However, animals also spend quite a lot of time on the ground. They walk rather slowly, sometimes running short distances at a kind of gallop. With their long proboscis, snouts explore the forest floor in search of food.
Nosukhi live in groups of 4-5 to 20 animals. This group includes adult (2 years and older) females and their cubs of both sexes under the age of one year. Groups move a lot and can cover long distances in search of food. Adult males stay solitary and join the group during the mating season. There are complex relationships between the members of the group - the animals clean each other, sometimes devoting an hour or more a day to this activity, search for food together, and work together to drive away enemies.
Family groups each occupy their own territory, which is approximately 1 square kilometer. They mark their territory with urine and the odorous secretion of the anal glands, and if they attempt to invade, they attack an intruder. However, areas of different groups may partially overlap.
Nutrition and feeding behavior
Like many raccoons, noses are omnivores, but they prefer animal food. Their diet includes insects and other arthropods, including millipedes, scorpions and spiders. They look for food by rummaging through the forest floor with their noses and blowing fallen leaves. They also love plant foods, preferring ripe fruits. Less commonly, vertebrate animals - frogs, lizards, and small mammals - can become their prey. They do not disdain noses and carrion.
Vocalization
The sounds made by noses in different situations are very diverse.
Females make barking sounds, warning the group of danger. For their young, they use other sounds that resemble whimpering or whining. In addition, the rich “repertoire” of noses includes sounds similar to bird chirping, grunting, sniffling and snoring.