View source for Ringtail

{{Short description|Species of mammal}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Ringtail
| image = Squaw-ringtail-28073.jpg
| image_caption = Ringtail in [[Phoenix, Arizona]]
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref =<ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Bassariscus astutus'' |name-list-style=amp |author=Reid, F. |author2=Schipper, J. |author3=Timm, R. |date=2016 |page=e.T41680A45215881 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T41680A45215881.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Bassariscus
| species = astutus
| authority = ([[Martin Lichtenstein|Lichtenstein]], 1830)
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision =
*''Bassariscus a. astutus''
*''Bassariscus a. arizonensis''
*''Bassariscus a. flavus''
*''Bassariscus a. yumanensis''
*''Bassariscus a. nevadensis''
| range_map = Ring-tailed Cat area.png
| range_map_caption = Ring-tailed cat range
}}

The '''ringtail''' ('''''Bassariscus astutus''''') is a [[mammal]] of the [[Procyonidae|raccoon family]] native to arid regions of [[North America]]. It is widely distributed and well-adapted to its distributed areas. It has been legally trapped for its fur. It is listed as [[Least Concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]].<ref name=iucn/>
The species is known by a variety of different names, such as '''ring-tailed cat''', '''miner's cat''', '''civet cat''', and '''cacomistle''' (or '''cacomixtle'''), though the last of these can refer to ''[[cacomistle|B. sumichrasti]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jirik |first=Kate |title=LibGuides: North American Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) Fact Sheet: Taxonomy & History |url=https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/ringtail/taxonomy |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=ielc.libguides.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=cacomistle {{!}} mammal {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/animal/cacomistle |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Jeffrey |title=Bassariscus astutus (ringtail) |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bassariscus_astutus/ |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=Animal Diversity Web |language=en}}</ref>

The ringtail is the [[List of U.S. state mammals|state mammal]] of [[Arizona]].<ref>{{cite report |title=State mammal |publisher=State of Arizona |department=Arizona State Library, Archives, & Public Records |url=https://azlibrary.gov/state-symbols/state-mammal |access-date=2019-05-24}}</ref>

==Description==
The ringtail is black to dark brown in color with pale underparts. The animal has a pointed muzzle with long whiskers, similar to that of a fox (its Latin name means ‘clever little fox’) and its body resembles that of a cat. The ringtail's face resembles a mask as dark brown and black hair surround its eyes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ring-tailed Cat - ''Bassariscus astutus'' |website=Desert USA |url=https://www.desertusa.com/animals/ringtail-cat.html |access-date=2020-11-20}}</ref>

[[File:Ringtail ZionFB edited.jpg|thumb|right|Ringtail in tree in Zion N.P.]]
[[File:Ringtail2.jpg|thumb|right|Ringtail on [[Camelback Mountain]], Phoenix, Arizona]]
These animals are characterized by a long black and white "ringed" tail with 14–16 stripes,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/Fall02%20projects/Ringtail.htm |title=The Biogeography of Ringtailed Cats |last=Lu |first=Julie |publisher=San Francisco University |access-date=25 December 2010|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810025737/http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/Fall02%20projects/Ringtail.htm |archive-date=August 10, 2010 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> which is about the same length as its body.

Ringtails are primarily nocturnal, with large eyes and upright ears that make it easier for them to navigate and forage in the dark. An adept climber, it uses its long tail for balance. The rings on its tail can also act as a distraction for predators. The white rings act as a target, so when the tail rather than the body is caught, the ringtail has a greater chance of escaping.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gilbert |first=Bil. |title=Ringtails |magazine=Smithsonian |year=2000 |issue=5 |pages=65–70 |via=[[ProQuest]] |access-date=2 April 2015 |url=http://ProQuest.com}}</ref>

The claws are short, straight, and semi-retractable, well-suited for climbing.<ref name="Poglayen-Neuwall-Toweill-19882">{{cite journal |last1=Poglayen-Neuwall |first1=Ivo |last2=Toweill |first2=Dale E. |year=1988 |title=Bassariscus astutus |url=http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-327-01-0001.pdf |journal=Mammalian Species |issue=327 |pages=1–8 |doi=10.2307/3504321 |jstor=3504321}}</ref>

Smaller than a [[Cat|house cat]], it is one of the smallest extant [[Procyonidae|procyonids]] (only the smallest in the [[olingo]] species group average smaller). Its body alone measures {{convert|30|–|42|cm|abbr=on|in}} and its tail averages {{convert|31|–|44|cm|abbr=on|in}} from its base. It typically weighs around {{convert|0.7|to|1.5|kg|abbr=on|lb}}.<ref name=Hunter2>{{cite book |last=Hunter |first=Luke |year=2011 |title=Carnivores of the World |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=9780691152288}}</ref>

[[File:Bassariscus astutus 02 MWNH 367.JPG|thumb|left|Skull of a ringtail]]
Its dental formula is {{DentalFormula|upper=3.1.4.2|lower=3.1.4.2}} = 40.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stangl |first1=Frederick B. |last2=Henry- Langston |first2=Sarah |last3=Lamar |first3=Nicholas |last4=Kasper |first4=Stephen |year=2014 |title=Sexual dimorphism in the ringtail (''Bassariscus astutus'') from Texas |journal=Natural Science Research Laboratory |volume=328}}</ref>

The [[ankle]] joint is flexible and is able to rotate over 180&nbsp;degrees, making the animal an agile climber. The long [[tail]] provides balance for negotiating narrow ledges and limbs, even allowing individuals to reverse directions by performing a cartwheel. Ringtails also can ascend narrow passages by stemming (pressing all feet on one wall and their back against the other or pressing both right feet on one wall and both left feet on the other), and wider cracks or openings by ricocheting between the walls.<ref name=gustafson/>

As adults, these mammals lead solitary lives, generally coming together only to mate. A typical call is a very loud, plaintive bark. They produce a variety of sounds, including clicks and chatters reminiscent of raccoons.

Ringtails have been reported to exhibit fecal marking behavior as a form of intraspecific communication to define territory boundaries or attract potential mates.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Barja |first1=Isabel |last2=List |first2=Rurik |date=2006-12-01 |title=Faecal marking behaviour in ringtails (''Bassariscus astutus'') during the non-breeding period: Spatial characteristics of latrines and single faeces |journal=Chemoecology |language=en |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=219–222 |doi=10.1007/s00049-006-0352-x |bibcode=2006Checo..16..219B |s2cid=7959174 |issn=0937-7409}}</ref> It has been suggested that ringtails use feces as a way to mark territory. In 2003, a study in Mexico City found that ringtails tended to defecate in similar areas in a seemingly nonrandom pattern, mimicking that of other carnivores that utilized excretions to mark territories.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Barja, I. |author2=List, R. |year=2006 |title=Faecal marking behaviour in ringtails (''Bassariscus astutus'') during the non-breeding period: Spatial characteristics of latrines and single faeces |journal=Chemoecology |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=219–222|doi=10.1007/s00049-006-0352-x |bibcode=2006Checo..16..219B |s2cid=7959174 }}</ref>

Ringtails prefer a solitary existence but may share a den or be found mutually grooming one another. They exhibit limited interaction except during the breeding season, which occurs in the early spring. Ringtails can survive for long periods on water derived from food alone, and have urine which is more concentrated than any other mammal studied, an adaptation that allows for maximum water retention.<ref>{{cite book |last=Schoenherr |first=Allen A. |year=1992 |title=A Natural History of California |place=University of California Press |page=386|isbn=9780520909915}}</ref>

==Reproduction==
Ringtails mate in the spring. The [[gestation]] period is 45–50&nbsp;days, during which the male will procure food for the female. There will be 2–4&nbsp;kits in a litter. The cubs open their eyes after one month, and will hunt for themselves after four months. They reach sexual maturity at 10&nbsp;months. The ringtail's lifespan in the wild is about seven years.

==Range and habitat==
The ringtail is commonly found in rocky [[desert]] habitats, where it nests in the hollows of trees or abandoned wooden structures. It has been found throughout the [[Great Basin Desert]], which stretches over several states (Nevada, Utah, California, Idaho, and Oregon) as well as the [[Sonoran Desert]] in Arizona, and the [[Chihuahuan Desert]] in New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico. The ringtail also prefers rocky habitats associated with water, such as the riparian canyons, [[cave]]s, or mine shafts.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QvwxAQAAMAAJ&dq=ringtail+also+prefers+rocky+habitats+associated+with+water&pg=PA60 |title=North Bank Habitat Management Area/ACEC, Oregon: Environmental Impact Statement |date=2000 |language=en}}</ref>

In areas with a bountiful source of water, as many as 50&nbsp;ringtails/sq. mile (20/km<sup>2</sup>) have been found. Ranging from {{cvt|50|to|100|acres}}, the territories of male ringtails occasionally intersect with several females.<ref name=ReferenceA>{{cite web |last=Gilbert |first=Bil. |title=Ringtails |magazine=Smithsonian |issue=8 |year=2000 |pages=65–70 |via=[[ProQuest]] |url=http://ProQuest.com |access-date=2 April 2015}}</ref>

The ringtail is found in the [[Southwestern United States]] in southern [[Oregon]], [[California]], eastern [[Kansas]], [[Oklahoma]],  [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]], [[Colorado]], [[southern Nevada]], [[Utah]], [[Louisiana]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lewellen |first1=Greg T. |title=''Bassariscus astutus'' (Ringtail) |url=https://www.wtamu.edu/~rmatlack/Mammalogy/Species_accounts_2003/Bassariscus_astutus_account.htm |website=Mammalogy |publisher=West Texas A&M University |access-date=5 April 2022}}</ref> and [[Texas]]. In Mexico it ranges from the northern desert state of [[Baja California]] to [[Oaxaca]]. Its distribution overlaps that of [[Bassariscus sumichrasti|''B. sumichrasti'']] in the Mexican states of [[Guerrero]], [[Oaxaca]], and [[Veracruz]].<ref name=iucn/>

Fossils assigned to ''B. astutus'' dating back to the early [[Pliocene]] epoch have been found as far north as [[Washington (state)|Washington]].<ref name=gustafson>{{cite journal |last=Gustafson |first=Eric Paul |date=May 2015 |title=Bassariscusfrom the Early Pliocene of Washington |journal=Northwest Science |volume=89 |issue=2 |pages=129–135 |doi=10.3955/046.089.0204 |s2cid=83532330 |issn=0029-344X}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Bassariscus.jpg|Two ringtails
File:Bassariscus astutus (ringtail)-11297651994.jpg|Ringtail den
File:Squaw-ringtail-28112.jpg|Ringtail in Phoenix, Arizona
File:Bassaris astuta - 1700-1880 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica - Special Collections University of Amsterdam - UBA01 IZ22400145.tif|''Bassaris astuta'' print from ''Iconographia Zoologica'' (1700–1880) 
</gallery>

==Diet==
Small vertebrates such as [[Passerine|passerine birds]], [[rat]]s, [[mice]], [[squirrel]]s, [[rabbit]]s, [[snake]]s, [[lizard]]s, [[frog]]s, and [[toad]]s are the most important foods during winters.<ref name=Hunter2/> However, the ringtail is [[omnivorous]], as are all procyonids. [[Berries]] and [[insect]]s are important in the diet year-round, and become the primary part of the diet in spring and summer, along with other [[fruit]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ringtail (''Bassariscus astutus'') |website=nsrl.ttu.edu |url=http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/bassastu.htm |access-date=17 April 2013}}</ref>

As an omnivore the ringtail enjoys a variety of foods in its diet, the majority of which is made up of animal matter. Insects and small mammals such as rabbits, mice, rats and ground squirrels are some examples of the ringtail's carnivorous tendencies. Occasionally the ringtail will also eat fish, lizards, birds, snakes and carrion. The ringtail also enjoys juniper, hack and black berries, persimmon, prickly pear, and fruit in general. They have even been observed partaking from birdseed feeders, hummingbird feeders, sweet nectar or sweetened water.<ref name=ReferenceA/>

The results of a study of scat from ringtails on [[Isla San José (Baja California Sur)|Isla San José]], [[Baja California Sur]], showed that the ringtail tended to prey on whatever was most abundant during each respective season. During the spring the ringtail's diet consisted largely of insects, showing up in about 50% of the analyzed feces. Small rodents, snakes, and some lizards were also present. Plant matter was presented in large amounts, around 59% of the collected feces contained some type of plant, with fruits of ''[[Phaulothamnus]]'', ''[[Lycium]]'', and ''[[Solanum]]'' most common. The large amount of [[ironwood]] seeds and leaves demonstrated that these fleshy fruits were an obvious favorite of the ringtail.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rodríguez-Estrella |first1=Ricardo |first2=Angel |last2=Rodríguez Moreno |first3=Karina |last3=Grajales Tam |date=February 2000 |title=Spring diet of the endemic ring-tailed cat (''Bassariscus astutus insulicola'') population on an island in the Gulf of California, Mexico |journal=Journal of Arid Environments |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=241–246 |doi=10.1006/jare.1999.0579|bibcode=2000JArEn..44..241R }}</ref>

==Ecology==
[[Fox]]es, [[coyote]]s, [[raccoon]]s, [[bobcat]]s, [[hawk]]s, and [[owl]]s opportunistically prey upon ringtails of all ages, though predominantly on younger, more vulnerable specimens.<ref name=Hunter2/> Also occasional prey to coatis, lynxes, and mountain lions, the ringtail is rather adept at avoiding predators.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}} The ringtail's success in deterring potential predators is largely attributed to its ability to excrete musk when startled or threatened. The main predators of the ringtail are the great horned owl and the red-tailed hawk.<ref name=ReferenceA/>

Ringtails have occasionally been hunted for their [[Fur|pelts]], but the fur is not especially valuable. Fur trapping has slowed down considerably, but current population sizes and growth rates remain unclear.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ring-tailed cat |website=Los Padres Forest-Watch |language=en-US |url=https://lpfw.org/our-region/wildlife/ring-tailed-cat/ |access-date=2020-11-20}}</ref>

==Tameability==
Ringtail are said to be easily tamed / [[habituation|habituated to humans]], and can make an affectionate pet and effective mouser. Miners and settlers once kept pet ringtails to keep their cabins free of vermin; hence, the common name of "miner's cat".<ref>{{cite book |first=Lowell |last=Sumner |year=1953 |section=Ringtails in Redwood Park |title=Birds and Mammals of the Sierra Nevada: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks |publisher=University of California Press |page=306}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Reid |first=F.A. |year=2006 |title=Peterson Field Guide to Mammals of North America |edition=4th |pages=454–455 |location=New York, NY |publisher=Houghton Mifflin}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |editor=Nowak, R.M. |year=2005 |title=Walker's Carnivores of the World |place=Baltimore, MD |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=0-8018-8032-7}}

==External links==
{{Wikispecies|Bassariscus astutus}}
{{Commons category|Bassariscus astutus}}
* {{cite web |title=''Bassariscus astutus'' |website=Animal Diversity Web |url=https://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Bassariscus_astutus.html}}
* {{cite web |title=''Bassariscus astutus'' |website=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |department=[[National Museum of Natural History]] |series=North American Mammals |url=https://naturalhistory.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625190529/https://naturalhistory.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=21 |archive-date=2018-06-25}}

{{Carnivora|C.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q632701}}

[[Category:Bassariscus]]
[[Category:Carnivorans of North America]]
[[Category:Mammals of Mexico]]
[[Category:Mammals of the United States]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Baja California Peninsula]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Southwestern United States]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Mojave Desert]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Colorado Desert]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Sonoran Desert]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Great Basin]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1830]]
[[Category:Symbols of Arizona]]