Project Noah   Join Project Noah Today   Bassariscus astutus
The ringtail is buff to dark brown in color with white
underparts and a flashy black and white striped tail that has
14-16 white and black stripes, which is longer than the rest of
its body. The claws are short, straight, and semi-retractable.
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. Ringtails
have occasionally been hunted for their pelts, but the fur is
not especially valuable. The ringtail is a mammal of the raccoon
family (thus not actually a cat), native to arid regions of
North America.   It is found in rocky, desert as its habitat,
where it nests in the hollows of trees or abandoned wooden
structures.   This specimen was spotted in the Chiricahua
Mountains. It was a young animal and was quite curious. Also
known as "ring-tailed cat," "miner's cat," and "cacomistle."  No
species ID suggestions   Ashish Nimkar