Ringtail Cat
Name: Ringtail Cat
Description: The ringtail is buff to dark brown in color with white underparts and a flashy black and white striped tail which is longer than the rest of its body. The eyes are large and purple, each surrounded by a patch of light fur. It is smaller than a housecat, measuring 30–42 cm long with a tail of 31–44 cm and weighing 0.8–1.5 kg
Habitat: The ringtail is found throughout California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Utah and parts of northern Mexico. It is found in rocky, desert habitat, where it nests in the hollows of trees or abandoned wooden structures, or in attics of occupied homes. The ringtail is the state mammal of Arizona.
Behavior:
Ringtails are nocturnal, solitary, timid, and rarely seen. It is omnivorous, eating fruits, berries, insects, lizards, small rodents, and birds. Owls, foxes, coyotes, raccoons and bobcats will prey upon ringtails. These small omnivores produce a variety of sounds, including clicks and chatters reminiscent of raccoons. A typical call is a very loud, plaintive bark. As adults, these mammals lead solitary lives, generally coming together only to mate.The ankle joint is flexible and able to rotate over 180 degrees, a trait helping make it an agile climber. Their considerable tail provides balance for negotiating narrow ledges and limbs, even allowing them 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. Ringtails mate in the spring. There will be 2-4 cubs in a litter. Their lifespan is about seven years.
Some Links to information about Ringtails:
- Biogeography of Ringail Cats San Francisco State University
- The Ringtail Digital-Desert
Photo Credits:
Ringtail Cat - Public Domain.The information on this page was taken from Wikipedia under a GNU Free Documentation License unless otherwise noted.