Arizona State Mammal
Ringtail - (Bassariscus astutus)
The ringtail of the southwest is also known as ringtail cat, miner's cat and cacomistle. It is not really a cat at all, but a relative of the raccoon and coatimundi. Ringtails are small, slender animals, about two and one-half feet long. Half of this length is a bushy tail, ringed with black and white. The body is grayish-buff, darker along the back, with black underparts. Huge, round eyes, ringed with white dominate their fox-like face. The ears are large and rounded. They have claws that are partially retractable.
The range of rintails covers almost the entire state. These animals are found in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from Sonoran Desert to coniferous forests. They prefer rough, rocky areas with caves, crevices and broken ledges in which to den. Hollows in trees may also be used for den sites. The young are born in May or June. They are blind at birth and are covered with downy white fur. The young begin foraging with the adults at two months, and are weaned at four months.
Ringtails are omnivorous. They feed on a wide variety of fruits, berries, insects, lizards, frogs, birds and rodents. In turn, larger predators prey upon ringtails, particularly the great horned owl, coyote and bobcat. Except when with young, ringtails are solitary. They are shy and nocturnal, so are seen by relatively few people. The ringtail is listed as a furbearer in Arizona but is not harvested in large numbers as the fur is not highly valued. The population status of the ringtail is not well known, though it seems to be relatively common in all areas of expected occurrence. It is not considered threatened or even rare, just secretive.
Photo and information provided by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Education Branch
