Ringtails - (Bassariscus astutus)
The Ringtail is Arizona’s State mammal. While Arizona claims them as “its” mammal, ringtails range widely in the west and are found in California, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, and east to Alabama. They have also been reported in Ohio where, it is believed they may have “arrived,” after hiding out in a train car, at one time.
Ringtails are not cats, but are related to Raccoons and Coatimundis. They get their name from their bushy tail that is “ringed,” with black and grey/white rings. They have slim elongated faces with bulging eyes, with stripes around them-which are very helpful in night hunting. They never get as large as a raccoon so they can easily squeeze into smaller entrance holes or openings than what I typically see when a racoon is causing problems. (Miners often mentioned them in their stories, calling them “miner cats,” because they found ringtails could be domesticated and were excellent mousers.) Here in the Sonoran desert, raccoons and coatis appear to be more prevalent because raccoons and coatis are larger and they often travel in groups of 3 – 5 for raccoons, and bands of 10-15 for coatis. Although there are quite a few ringtails right here in the greater Tucson area, many Arizona residents have never seen one in the wild.
Ringtails, except when they mate and are raising their 1-2 young, are loners and live in rock outcroppings, around riparian areas in stumps, or other protected areas which can include an attic.
Ringtails are voracious hunters and will eat mice, small birds, lizards, snakes, pack rats, as well as berries, fruits, and nuts. They can climb any tree, wall, fence, and most rocks. Their back feet can be rotated to almost 180 degrees, which makes it easy for them, in either a vertical or horizontal pursuit of their next meal.
Ringtails are typically not considered a “nuisance animal,” but, in my professional career, I have found, in greater Tucson, several occasions where I was called to hotels, restaurants, schools, and businesses that felt something was making homes in their roofs, and even in attics. For example, in one recent year, I trapped and released over 2 dozen ringtails from places where the business,or home owners were concerned about the ringtails which were either living or feeding inside their establishment and wanted to have them humanely removed. If ringtails are in your attic or, in the case of a business-the ceiling, you can hear them moving around and, until you call 1st Response Wildlife, you may not know if you have pack rats, raccoons, or even a bobcat.
This ringtail, pictured above, along with the second one pictured below was considered a “nuisance,” because it had found a way into a food kitchen and, together with the second ringtail, was getting comfortable helping itself to anything it could find. After I captured them, there was some work to close up points-of-entry because, even though I released the two of them some distance from that business, it would be very easy, as it is with many animals, for them to go back to that location and pick up where they left off foraging on prepared food.
After release, I took these two pictures of the ringtails. They are gorgeous animals and, as you can see they blend in with the background, even when you know where they are-which is another reason why they are rarely seen in the wild.
If you are in need of 1st Response Wildlife's Services, just give Josh a call 24/7 at:
Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517
Thanks, Wildman Josh :)
Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, squirrels (ardilla) , coatimundi (gato solo), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7. Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children. 520-260-9517 Thanks!
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