Curious Coatis Show Off Their Climbing Skills

Two South American coatis peer from a tree in their new habitat at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The three-month-old coatis rarely are still as they spend the majority of their day playing, jumping, climbing trees and digging in the dirt. Keepers describe the coatis as very curious, very smart and always very active.

South American coatis, also known as ring-tailed coatis, are closely related to raccoons and are found in the jungles and rainforests of South America, where they live both on the ground and in trees. They have a distinctive ringed tail, used for balancing while climbing. Their specially adapted ankle joints allow them to rotate their feet, climbing up trees and descending head first. They also have sharp-clawed paws and long, thin, shovel-like noses that help them forage for food.

Visitors to the Safari Park can see the playful coatis, along with their three siblings, in their habitat, located at Thorntree Terrace.

Photo taken on Aug. 5, 2014, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

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