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Project Noah Nature School
Bassariscus astutus
The ringtail is buff to dark brown in color with white underparts and a flashy black and white striped tail that has 14-16 white and black stripes, which is longer than the rest of its body. The claws are short, straight, and semi-retractable. The eyes are large and purple, each surrounded by a patch of light fur. It is smaller than a housecat, measuring 30–42 cm long with a tail of 31–44 cm and weighing 0.8–1.5 kg. Ringtails have occasionally been hunted for their pelts, but the fur is not especially valuable. The ringtail is a mammal of the raccoon family (thus not actually a cat), native to arid regions of North America.
It is found in rocky, desert as its habitat, where it nests in the hollows of trees or abandoned wooden structures.
This specimen was spotted in the Chiricahua Mountains. It was a young animal and was quite curious. Also known as "ring-tailed cat," "miner's cat," and "cacomistle."
Spotted on Aug 5, 2003
Submitted on Feb 14, 2012
13 Comments
Amazing.. Goody.. I do not wonder if this is featured.. Excellent job..!!
Whaoooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, you sound like an adventurer!! This is a very interesting animal. Great photo, I will have to look at the snake photos!
Yes, they live in the shadows. :-) We were road cruising for snakes in the Chiricahua mountains and happened upon this little guy. It was a super night for new species for me. I picked up 3 rattlesnakes for my life list and the ringtail was an amazing bonus. There had been a rabies warning posted at the campground so my friend had to remind me of that so I didn't try to get too close.
Are they nocturnal animals?
This one was young and curious, but other things I read say they're solitary and shy. Looks like they eat pretty much anything they come across: fruits, lizards, small mammals, birds, etc. They're also food for larger predators.
Thank you. No, they're actually related to the raccoons. I will add that tidbit to the description. I should have done that initially. Oops!
I just saw the link, its a raccoon type animal? What do they eat? Are they friendly?
This is awesome! I have never seen a cat like this. Great photo!! It is in the feline family??
Wonderful spotting!! Great photo...so cute!!
Agreed! :-)
I'm sure the fur is valuable to the cacomistle! :)
Such huge eyes! Really beautiful!