How does an urban landscape influence spatiotemporal ecology of South American coatis (Nasua nasua)?

This article focuses on the spatial ecology and circadian activity of the South American Coati (Nasua nasua) in an urban forest fragment in Campo Grande, Brazil. The study found that coatis maintain smaller home ranges (mean 0.66 km²) within the urban area compared to natural habitats, with no significant differences in home range size related to sex or weight, and a high degree of overlap among individuals. Coatis remained diurnal, consistent with their natural behavior, and predominantly selected forested areas and water bodies throughout the day, while briefly exploring houses and streets early in the morning, likely for food resources. The findings highlight the importance of forest patches for coati survival in urban landscapes and suggest that urban barriers and anthropogenic food availability influence their spatial behavior without altering their circadian rhythms.