In progress
12/16/2002
by Julie Lu, student in
Geography 316
Thank you for visiting our site. This
web pages was written by a student in Geography 316: Biogeography and edited by
the instructor, Barbara Holzman, PhD. All photos and maps are posted with
specific copyright permission for the express use of education on these web
pages. The students have tried to be as accurate as possible with the
information provided and sources and references are cited at the end of each
page.
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Figure 1. Ringtail Cat. Source: Cabrera 1997
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Description of Species:
Ringtail cats are not related to the
cat family but are really members of the raccoon family, Procyonidae.
Ringtails are cat sized animals that resemble a mix between
a fox and a raccoon. The face is fox-like, with a pointed snout, and the body
is raccoon-like and elongated. The top side of the animal is yellow to dark
brown or black, and the underside is a whitish buff. The ears and eyes are
large and the eyes are ringed by white fur. The tail is very bushy and can be
longer than the head and body in many cases. It is also marked by 14-16
alternating black and white bands for which the animal is named (Whitaker
1996). The dimensions of the average ringtail measures 24-32 inches (616-811mm)
in length, 12 ¼ -17 ¼ inches (310-438mm) in tail length, and 1¾ - 2 ½ lbs (870-1,100g) in weight (Whitaker 1996).
The name “ringtail” comes from the
black ring markings that are found on the animal’s tail. Ringtails are also
referred to by many other names, like miner’s cat (because they were used to
help control rodents in mines), civet cat (because of the foul odor it secretes
when confronted; this name is also an allusion to an African species named Civettictis civetta, which produces a substance called civet that is used in
perfumes), and cacomistle (which is derived from the word tlacomiztli
meaning “half mountain lion” in the native language of the Mexican Hahuatl
Indians) (Nowak 1999).
Figure 2. Tracks of the ringtail. Source: Cabrera 1997
Natural History:
Habitat
Ringtails usually inhabit semi-arid deserts, rock plateaus,
and canyons (in the Southwest states such as Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Texas).
They also live in coniferous forests (in California and Oregon). Ringtails
are great climbers and because of
their tactile movements and agility, these animals make their homes in
mountainous terrain, rock crevices, tree hollows, or under cliffs (Whitaker
1996).
Feeding
Ringtails are
primarily carnivorous but also do eat other food like plants, fruit, and
insects. Their diets generally consist of small mammals (rodents, rabbits,
squirrels), small birds, insects (spiders, grasshoppers, crickets, centipedes,
scorpions), and fruits (persimmon, mistletoe, hackberries). As well, the
diet varies throughout the year. In the fall, it consists of mostly plants and insects; in winter,
mammals and birds; and in summer, insects (Williams 2001).
Breeding/Reproduction
The mating season of ringtails occurs from February to
June, and the gestation period lasts 51-53 days. The period females are in heat
only lasts 24 hours within the mating season. The number in a litter ranges from 1-5 but is usually 2-4,
and newborns weigh an average of 0.9 ounces or 25 grams. At birth, ringtails
are white-haired and fuzzy and the tail is not yet colored with the white and
black bands. In the mating rituals of these animals, both males and females
mark their territory (which does not overlap) with urine and feces usually near
their dwellings. These markings act as “calling cards” that deter competition
in members of the same sex and attract reproductive partners in members of the
opposite sex (Poglayen-Neuwall 1990).
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Behavior
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Figure 3. Ringtail Cat.Source: Arizona Game and Fish Department (date unknown)
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Figure 4. Geographic distribution of Oligocene to Pliocene fossil procyonids. Source: Hunt 1996
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Evolution:
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The procyonids originated from broad molared canids of the Miocene radiation. One of these canids, Pylaocyon, is the ancestor of the procyonids based on the skull and dentition. The fossils of these early procyonids closely resembles the modern panda (Ewer 1973). The New World procyonid radiation, as stated before, stems from one more more of the Eurasian immigrant procyonids that came over to North America in the early Miocene. The fossils of these first procyonids that appeared in North American date back to approximately 16 – 18 million years ago. In the late Miocene, about 7 million years ago, the Cyonasua-group procyonids migrated to South America. The oldest bassariscus fossils found come from the Miocene and were discovered in Nebraska, Nevada, and California (Williams 2001). |
Figure 5. Cladogram of Procyonidae. Source: Ewer 1973 |
Distribution:
The ringtail is represented by two species that live in North America and Central America. The North American ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) is the species covered here. The range of the ringtail in the United States covers southwestern Oregon, California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, western Colorado, and southern Kansas through Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas (Whitaker 1996).
In California, the ringtail is distributed in most all parts of the state (as can be seen on the Range Map). The distribution occurs mainly on the Pacific drainage slope from the Oregon boundary west of the longtiude of Mount Shasta to Ventura County (Grinnell et al. 1969). The distribution of these species can be considered continuous. The home range of the ringtail occurs from about sea level to 9600 ft in elevation. In California, ranges each animal covered varied from 44-515 hectares or 109-1280 acres (Alhborn date unknown).
Figure 6. Map of distribution of ringtails in
California
Dots show localities where ringtails have been reported by
trappers.
Source: Grinnel et al 1937
Interesting Facts:
Ringtails have no special status but are the official
state mammal of Arizona (Williams 2001). The main predators of ringtails
are bobcats, raccoons, foxes, large owls and humans (Alhborn date unknown).
Although humans are one of their top predators, ringtails are not killed for any
economic purpose as their fur and meat are not considered valuable.
Instead, ringtails are usually killed because they are pests to farmers,
damaging poultry and orchards. Ringtails can be kept as pets. As
well, if one wishes to spot a ringtail, they are widely distributed in
California and can be seen in mountainous regions like the Sierra Nevada.
Bibliography:
Arizona Game and Fish Department, Education Branch.
(unknown). Ringtail [Online]. Available:
http://www.dlapr.lib.az.us/museum/symb-mamm.htm [28 October 2002].
Alhborn, G. (unknown). Ringtail [Online]. Available: http://www.sibr.com/mammals/M152.html [28 October 2002].
Cabrera, K.A. 1997. Ringtail [Online]. Available: http://www.humboldt.net/~tracker/ringtail.html [28 October 2002].
Ewer, R.F. 1973. The Carnivores. Ithaca, NY. Cornell University Press.
Grinnel, J. J. Dixon and J.M. Linsdale. 1937. Fur-bearing Mammals of California, vol. 1. Berkeley, CA. University of California Press.
Hunt, Jr., Robert M. 1996. “Biogeography of the Order Carnivora.” pp. 485-541. In John L. Gittleman, ed. Carnivore Behavior, Ecology and Evolution, vol. 2. Ithaca, NY. Cornell University Press.
Nowak, Ronald M. 1999. Walker’s Mammals of the World. Baltimore, Maryland. John Hopkins University Press.
Poglayen-Neuwall, I. 1990. Grzimek’s Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York, NY. McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.
Whitaker, J.O., Jr. 1996. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals. New York, NY. Alfred A. Knopf.
Williams, D.B. (March 2001). Ringtail Cats [Online]. Available: http://www.desertusa.com/mag01/mar/papr/ringt.html [16 October, 2002].
send comments to mailto:bholzman@sfsu.edu
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