White-nosed Coati is highly adaptable but is basically a tropical woodland and open forest animal. It is rarely seen in open grassland or desert. Its distribution in Arizona and New Mexico corresponds to that of Encinal and Mexican pine-oak woodland. In the south-western U.S.A., it is found in oak woodlands or hardwood riparian canyons over 1,400-2,300 m. It is also occasionally seen in chaparral conifers. Many sightings have occurred in small isolated mountain ranges such as the Sierra Madre in Mexico and the Chiricahuas and Huachucas in the United States. It is more active by day than by night, but in Costa Rica is mostly diurnal (González-Maya et al. 2009). It runs in bands of up to 30 individuals, although 12 is more typical. Adult males are typically solitary. It searches for food both on the ground and in the forest canopy, frequently climbing to obtain fruits. It is more typically seen on the ground. It is omnivorous, typically eating fruit and invertebrates (Kaufmann 1962, Gompper 1995, Valenzuela 1998).

White-nosed Coati ranges from Arizona and parts of southern New Mexico in the United States through Mexico (except the Baja peninsula and central Sierra Madres) and Central America to Panama and marginally into South America in areas west of the Andes (Glatston 1994), especially in Colombia (González-Maya et al. 2011).

White-nosed Coati is classified as an endangered species in New Mexico and it is given total legal protection there. However, in Arizona, where most of the White-nosed Coatis in the United States live, they are subject to year round hunting. White-nosed Coati is listed in Appendix III of CITES by Honduras. Elsewhere in its range it does not appear to be afforded any official protection.