ringtails

RINGTAILS

Have you ever heard of a ringtail?

ALSO CALLED RINGTAIL CAT, MINER'S CAT, BASSARISK, & CIVET CAT (A MONIKER SHARED WITH SEVERAL UNRELATED SPECIES). THEY'RE ALSO OFTEN CALLED CACOMISTLE, ALTHOUGH THAT TERM USUALLY REFERS TO THEIR CLOSE SOUTHERN RELATIVE. WORD CACOMISTLE FROM THE NAHUATL 'TLACOMIZTLI' 'TLANCO' …. MEANING HALF, 'MIZTLI'

= MOUNTAIN LION.

RINGTAILS ARE SYMBOLS OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST

Their cute qualities are PRACTICAL: Large soulful eyes for late nights, short legs w/ a long body for balance, cat-like paws for climbing AND LARGE ears for listening to small prey

RINGTAILS (BASSARISCUS ASTUTUS) ARE NOCTURNAL MAMMALS OF THE RACCOON FAMILY, PROCYONIDAE. ALL PROCYONIDS ARE NATIVE TO THE AMERICAS

Ringtails' trash loving cousins - raccoons - are known colloquially as trash pandas … Their honey-hungry kin, the kinkajou, are known as 'honey bears.' More than any of their relatives, ringtails prey on small animals.

12-17 in

THEY MAY BE LITTLE - weighing only 1.5 lb to 3.3 lb - BUT THEY ARE LONG. A RINGTAILS RINGTAIL CAN BE THE LENGTH OF THEIR BODY

ALTHOUGH PRIMARILY ASSOCIATED WITH ARID REGIONS, RINGTAILS' RANGE EXTENDS TO MOSSY FERN-Y SOUTHERN OREGON. THEIR PREFERRED HABITAT IS ROCKY RIPARIAN ZONES. THEY ARE FREQUENT VISITORS TO OREGON CAVES & CANYONS.

Ringtails' buff and brown fur camouflages them in rocky terrain, while their showy black & white tail distracts predators away from their vital core, increasing chances for escape.

Bassariscus astutus comes from Latin, meaning 'clever little fox'

Their hunting prowess was recognized by gold-panning humans, who encouraged these 'miner's cats' in their camps for pest control. Miner's cats/ringtails' diet includes mice, small birds, insects, lizards, cactus fruit, and berries.