Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Ringtails, also called ring-tailed cats, aren't cats at all—they're slender members of the raccoon family, and they're Arizona's state mammal. They live across the Southwest in rocky canyons and deserts, but because they come out only at night and are very shy, few people ever see one. They're also called miner's cats.

Appearance

Appearance: Smaller than a house cat: up to 32 in (81 cm) long including the tail, and about 1.5–3 lb (0.7–1.5 kg). The coat is beige to brown with a paler belly, the face is fox-like with big eyes ringed in white, and the bushy tail has 14–16 black and white bands.

Look-alikes

Northern raccoonProcyon lotor

Raccoons are much bigger and stockier, about 12–30 lb compared with the ringtail's 1.5–3 lb. A ringtail is slim, with a tail about as long as its body.

Why they get mixed upBoth are in the raccoon family and have banded tails.

White-nosed coatiNasua narica

Coatis have a long, flexible snout for rooting in soil and are active in the morning and late afternoon. Ringtails have a short, pointed fox-like face and come out only at night.

Why they get mixed upIn southern Arizona both live in the same canyons and have long ringed tails.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Rocky canyons
Deserts
Woodlands
Caves and mine shafts
Range: Found across the Southwest, from southern Oregon and California east to Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana, including Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada, and south through much of Mexico.
Preferred conditions: Prefers rocky country near water. Dens in rock crevices, hollow trees, burrows, and sometimes attics or old buildings.

Behavior

Diet: An omnivore: rodents and other small mammals, insects, birds, lizards, snakes, nuts, and fruit.
Activity: and secretive; it sleeps by day and is rarely seen even where it's common. At campsites in places like the Grand Canyon, it may raid packs and trash cans at night. Its ankles can rotate more than 180 degrees, so it can climb headfirst down cliffs and trees. The long tail helps it balance on boulders and ledges.

Life cycle

Breeding season: Mates in spring; females usually have one litter a year.
Gestation: 45–50 days
Litter size: 2–4 kits
Time to maturity: Kits open their eyes at about 1 month, hunt on their own at about 4 months, and are mature at about 10 months.
Lifespan: About 7 years in the wild

Name and classification

About the name: The name "cacomistle" comes from a Nahuatl word, but in English it more often means its southern relative, the Central American cacomistle.