Reproduction

How does the ringtail produce its young?

Breeding takes place during February.

Females give birth to between 1 and 4 young after a 51 to 60 day gestation period. They will form a den under a boulder or in a tree hollow where they raise the young. At birth the young cannot see or hear.

Young are weaned 10 weeks after birth but remain with their mother until 10 months old. She will initially find food for them.

Males will remain near their partner while she raises the young and often play with his offspring as they grow.

Sexual maturity is reached by 10 months old.

Behavior

What does the ringtail do with its day?

Ringtails are considered nocturnal though some crepuscular activity is also recorded.

These animals are solitary except for during breeding. If another individual enters their territory they will act aggressively towards them.

Each individual maintains a territory which they will mark with their scent. Males have larger home ranges than females.

Ringtails are adept climbers often seen in the trees or climbing vertical walls, rocky cliffs or cacti. They have an ability to turn their hind feet 180 degrees to help them grip when descending objects.

These animals can also move with ease up small cracks in the rocks through a process called stemming. This involves them pushing their feet against one wall and their back against the other then shimmying up.

They can produce a range of vocalizations including a squeak, chirp, whimper, hiss, grunt or growl.

Credit: Daniel Neal, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Predators and Threats

What is impacting the survival of the ringtail?

Natural predators of the ringtail include birds of prey such as owls, racoons, bobcats and coyotes.

When threatened the ringtail will raise the tail over its head in an attempt to look larger.

Ringtails are naturally found in low densities across their range. No formal estimate of their population trend has been established.

These animals are trapped across parts of their range for their fur though this has declined in recent years. The pelt is considered to be of low quality. They may also be trapped accidentally in traps set for foxes and racoons.

They may also fall victim to vehicle strikes.

Quick facts

These animals are also known as the ring-tailed cat or miners cat. They may also be referenced as the cacomistle though this name is more commonly applied to Bassariscus sumichrasti.

Their alternative name of miners cat comes from the habit of miners keeping them as pets in their camp during the gold exploration period in Nevada. They were used to help control populations of rats and mice.

The ringtail is listed as the state mammal of Arizona.

Ringtails are considered the smallest member of their family Procyonidae.

Learn more about the ringtail in this video

Credit: DesertMuseum on YouTube