The eastern mountain coati or eastern dwarf coati (Nasuella meridensis) is a small procyonid found in cloud forest and páramo at elevations of 2,000–4,000 m (6,600–13,100 ft) in the Andes of western Venezuela.[2] Until 2009, it was included as a subspecies of the western mountain coati (Nasuella olivacea), but the eastern mountain coati is overall smaller, somewhat shorter-tailed on average, has markedly smaller teeth, a paler olive-brown pelage, and usually a dark mid-dorsal stripe on the back versus more rufescent or blackish, and usually without a dark mid-dorsal stripe in the western mountain coati.[2] When the two were combined, they were classified as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List but following the split the eastern mountain coati is considered endangered.[1] A genetic analysis revealed that it should be regarded as a synonym of N. olivacea.[3]
The physical differences between the N. meridensis and N. olivacae is suggested to be of allopatric nature and is attributed to a geographical gap at the Columbian-Venezuelan border.[2]›
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