Head to head
Ringtail vs Raccoon
The ringtail and raccoon belong to the same family, but one has specialised for narrow desert canyons and rocky cliffs while the other has become one of the most successful urban mammals on the planet.
| Ringtail | Raccoon | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Bassariscus astutus | Procyon lotor |
| Build | Slender, cat-like | Bulkier, stockier |
| Signature ability | Hind feet rotate nearly 180 degrees for climbing | Extremely sensitive, dexterous front paws |
| Habitat | Desert, mountains, and forest | Forest, wetlands, and grassland |
| Range as an invasive species | No | Yes, established in parts of Europe and Japan |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Stable | Increasing |
| Diet | Omnivore | Omnivore |
Ringtail vs Raccoon: common questions
Is the ringtail closely related to the raccoon?
Yes, the ringtail is a genuine member of the raccoon family despite its slender, cat-like appearance, making it more closely related to the raccoon than to any true cat, even though the two look and behave quite differently day to day.
Which of these two species is more adaptable to human environments?
The raccoon is by far the more adaptable of the two, thriving in cities and suburbs across multiple continents and even establishing invasive populations in parts of Europe and Japan, while the ringtail remains largely confined to rugged desert, mountain, and forest habitat in the southwestern United States and Mexico.
What makes the ringtail such a good climber?
The ringtail 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, a specialised climbing ability the bulkier raccoon does not match to the same degree.