Ringtail
Bassariscus astutus
- Habitat: varied habitats from oak forests, woodlands, chaparral habitats, deserts, and rocky cliffs
- Range: widely distributed through south and south-western Mexico and U.S.A
- Natural Diet: fruit, insects, rodents, and birds
- Status in the Wild: Common
Fun Facts
- Ringtails are nocturnal and have excellent eye sight that help them navigate and to hunt for prey in the dark
- They are expert climbers and are able to climb trees, rocky outcrops, and cliffs. Ringtails also have the ability of turning their wrists and ankles around which helps in climbing
- Their light brown fur helps camouflage them and hide them from their predators. It is beleived that the rings on their tails also helps to distract predators
- When ringtails when they are startled excrete a fowl musk like substance to deter predators
- They live in dens made in tree hollows, rock crevices, or abandoned burrows
Ringtails live in a variety of habitat types from chaparral (image above) to thick forests (image below)
Conservation Threats
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Illegal hunting and trapping for fur has had a detrimental influence on their wild numbers
