Endemic Mammals Of Cozumel

Islands are incredible things. Left in isolation,
the inhabitants of islands will evolve in
incredible ways; some will grow massive, and
others will become tiny. The tropical island of
Cozumel, off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula
in Mexico, contains several endemic creatures
that are found nowhere else in the world. Here
are two examples of the amazing Cozumel
wildlife.

The Cozumel Island raccoon is only found on the
mangrove forests on the northwest tip of Cozumel
island. It's estimated that there are only about
300 individuals left in the world; they are
critically endangered, in part because of their
tiny range. They are much smaller than common
raccoons; when animals are confined to a very
small, limited environment like an island, the
evolutionary process of insular dwarfism occurs.
After thousands of years and a small gene pool,
the animal may shrink in size in comparison to
their mainland cousins. It's estimated that the
Cozumel island raccoon diverged from regular
raccoons between 26,000 and 69,000 years ago,
but there are no known fossils that could help
verify the exact date range.

Cozumel raccoons were first described in 1901;
archeological evidence shows that the Maya
residents of the island often had contact with
the diminutive creatures. Their size is a
primary identifying marker; adults range from 23
inches to 32 inches, and weigh between 6.5 and 9
pounds. Overall, they're about 18% shorter and
45% lighter than the common mainland raccoon.
Aside from the size difference, Cozumel raccoons
have small teeth, a more rounded snout, and
yellow fur on their tails; on the scruff of
their necks, males are also known to have a
patch of bright orange fur. Cozumel raccoons eat
frogs, fruit, and some insects, but crabs
comprise over half of their diet, depending on
the season. This preference for crabs is a major
factor in why their habitat is so limited. During
the wet seasons, they rely more on fruits and
vegetables, as they become more abundant.
Raccoons are solitary and primarily nocturnal,
though mothers may travel in family groups with
their cubs.

The coati is a mammal that is distantly related
to raccoons and kinkajous. The white-nosed coati
inhabits the mainland forests of Central and
South America, with its range extending up into
Arizona. An island subspecies is also known to
live here: the aptly named Cozumel coati.
Although there is not as much of a size
difference between the mainland and island
raccoons, this subspecies is smaller than the
mainland coatis. It's likely that Mayan
residents introduced the the island coatis to
the islands recently. The Cozumel coati is an
enigma; it's estimated that they are also
endangered. Like the mainland coatis, they are
opportunistic omnivores; they'll eat small
vertebrates, fruits, insects, carrion, and even
eggs.


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