Reading and vocabulary. Coati

Co-what-i? You may not be familiar with this fur ball, which inhabits parts of South America, Central America, and North America. But you no doubt know about the mammal's famous family. The coati is closely related to the raccoon. And like its cousin, this mammal is the size of a large house cat, has a ringed tail, and hangs out in trees.

Unlike the           raccoon, which is active at       , the coati mostly gets its z's when it's dark. These animals turn treetops into          , even building comfy twig-and-leaf       in branches for their        . As a coati sleeps, it tucks its nose into its belly.

During the     , the coati is all about snacking. It uses its long, flexible nose to probe gaps between rocks and search under piles of leaves for grub. Coatis eat         , fruit, rodents, lizards, and small snakes.

Female and baby coatis      [eat, eats],        [sleep, sleeps], and         [travel, travels] in packs of about 30. At      [age, ages] two, males        [leave, leaves] to live on their own. In groups       [this, these] animals are chatty—they click, grunt, whistle, and bark as they forage for food. So while it may not be as well known as      [its, it's] raccoon relatives, the coati definitely       [lets, let's] you know      [its, it's] there.