Mammals
Ringtail
Bassariscus astutus · also called ringtails, ring-tailed cat, miner's cat
Descending a narrow rock crevice head-first with practised ease, a ringtail uses hind feet flexible enough to rotate nearly all the way around, a nocturnal raccoon relative once welcomed into mining camps specifically for its skill at hunting rodents.
Overview
The ringtail, Bassariscus astutus, is a nocturnal, agile member of the raccoon family native to rocky desert, mountain, and forest habitat across a broad range of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Its remarkable climbing flexibility, distinctive banded tail, and unusual history as a semi-domesticated rodent controller in mining camps make it one of the more physically and historically distinctive small carnivores found in the American Southwest.
A cat in name only
Despite looking and moving with a distinctly feline grace that earned it the nickname miner’s cat, the ringtail is genuinely a raccoon relative, its cat-like reputation resting entirely on appearance and agility rather than any actual family connection.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common across suitable rocky desert, mountain, and forest habitat throughout the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Ringtail: common questions
Is the ringtail actually a cat?
No, despite an alternate common name referencing cats and a slender, feline appearance, this species is actually a member of the raccoon family, making it more closely related to raccoons and coatis than to any true cat species.
How does the ringtail climb such steep terrain so easily?
This species can rotate its hind feet nearly 180 degrees, an unusual degree of ankle flexibility that allows it to descend steep cliffs, narrow rock crevices, and tree trunks head-first with a level of agility few other mammals of similar size can match.
Why was the ringtail kept by miners historically?
This species was historically kept semi-tamed by miners and settlers specifically to control rodent populations around mining camps and cabins, a practical arrangement that gave rise to the alternate common name miner's cat still used in some regions today.
When is the best time to see a ringtail in the wild?
This species is almost entirely nocturnal, hunting and foraging after dark and spending daylight hours hidden in rock crevices, hollow trees, or other secluded shelter, making after-dark observation the most realistic way to encounter one despite the species being fairly common within its range.