The Cozumel Island raccoon is only found on the mangrove forests on the northwest tip of Cozumel isl

Islands are incredible things. flight menu for alaska airlines 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 flight menu for alaska airlines raccoons; this is a result of insular dwarfism, flight menu for alaska airlines an evolutionary process that occurs when animals are confined to a very small, limited environment like an island. After thousands flight menu for alaska airlines of years and a small gene pool, the animal may shrink in size in comparison to their mainland cousins. flight menu for alaska airlines 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 flight menu for alaska airlines 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. flight menu for alaska airlines Their size is a primary identifying marker; adults range from 23 inches to 32 inches, flight menu for alaska airlines and weigh between 6.5 and 9 pounds. Overall, they're about 18% shorter flight menu for alaska airlines and 45% lighter than the common mainland flight menu for alaska airlines raccoon. Aside from the size difference, Cozumel raccoons have small teeth, a more rounded snout, and yellow fur on their tails; males also have a patch of bright orange fur on the scruff of the neck. 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. It also has an island subspecies: the aptly named Cozumel coati. This subspecies is smaller than the mainland coatis, though there is not as much of a size difference as there is between the mainland and island raccoons. The island coatis may have been a recent introduction to the islands, likely by Maya residents. Very little is known about the Cozumel coati; 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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