Question of the Week: What's that long-tailed raccoon-like animal that hangs around Luna Llena Hotel?

It's a Pizote, or white-nosed coati, which actually is a part of the raccoon family. There is a mama Pizote and a baby male Pizote who live somewhere around the hotel's jungle premises and often make appearances to sniff around for food. This photo is of Luna Llena's resident mama Pizote. Luna Llena hotel guests enjoy taking photos and learning about local jungle wildlife.

The Pizote is found as far north as Arizona and as far south as Ecuador and lives in wooded forest areas. They have extremely long tails and the males tend to be much larger than the females. They are omnivores and love to forage for food in human trash. They can climb trees easily, using that long tail for balance. They are quite cute and have even been domesticated, but the males will fight if they feel attacked and have long nails for scratching. They like to sleep curled up in a tree.

In Costa Rica the animal is known exclusively as a Pizote, but in other parts of Latin America it is known as Coatimundi, Tejon or Antoon.

Montezuma Beach Clean-Up Sunday, Sept. 25: Do Your Part!!

We at Luna Llena hate to see all the plastic trash that washes up on our beaches here in Montezuma, most of which comes from San Jose and other parts of the Central Valley. Unfortunately, many people in Costa Rica continue to believe that rivers are trash cans. They refuse to think about the fact that their garbage doesn't disappear: it just gets carried downstream. During the rainy season all this trash gets washed out to sea and often ends up washed up on our beaches here in Montezuma.

Many trash collection efforts have taken place in Montezuma, and a once-a-year festival called "Chunches del Mar" has for several years drawn attention to the trash problem through art, with artists creating art installations in Montezuma using trash that has washed up on our beaches.

This year Montezuma will participate in World Beach Clean-Up Day on Sunday, Sept. 25. Montezuma will be celebrating with volunteers on foot patrol collecting and removing garbage from Montezuma's beaches. Do your part and join the effort!

This year's event is sponsored by ASVO Montezuma, the turtle protection and conservation program located 50 meters to the East of the elementary school in Montezuma. Their phone number is 2642-1433 for more information.

To do your part, show up at the Elementary School in Montezuma at 8:00am on Sunday, Sept. 25 where volunteers will be dispatched with trash bags.