Ringtail

Scientific name: Bassariscus astutus

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

A small carnivore with a distinctive black-and-white banded tail, russet-gray upperparts, and white underparts. Sexual dimorphism is minimal; males average slightly larger than females.

Size and weight

Adults weigh 0.6–1.1 kg; body length 24–33 cm, with a tail of equal or greater length.

Habitat

Ringtails inhabit rocky canyons, scrubland, and mixed conifer-hardwood forests from sea level to 2,400 m elevation. They favor areas with dense brush, rock outcrops, and proximity to water sources.

Distribution

Found throughout southwestern North America from Oregon and Missouri south to central Mexico, with highest densities in arid and semi-arid regions with rocky terrain.

Diet

Omnivorous, feeding on small mammals (rodents, rabbits), insects, berries, and carrion; diet shifts seasonally toward fruit and vegetation in late summer and autumn.

Behaviour

Nocturnal and crepuscular, solitary or in pairs. Highly agile climbers with semi-retractable claws; active foragers that cover 1–3 km nightly, using rock crevices and hollow trees as dens.

Hunting tips

Look for distinctive five-toed tracks in soft substrate near water and rock outcrops, and dark, elongated droppings containing fur and insect remains. Hunt canyon bottoms and brush-choked draws at dusk and dawn when animals emerge to forage. Move quietly and slowly along rocky edges, glassing shadowed recesses where ringtails rest or hunt.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 2 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.