Ringtail

RINGTAIL
Bassariscus astutus
(Lichtenstein, 1830)

bass-er-is-cus as-toot-es

Description:
The Ringtail is a slender-bodied mammal with an elongate, bushy tail that is white with a black tip and 7 or 8 dark bands around it. The dorsum is a buffy, yellowish color with black-tipped guard hairs, and the venter is whitish. The ears are conspicuous and the muzzle is pointed. Patches of white surround the eyes, and additional white patches are present at the anterior base of each ear, giving the appearance of a mask.
The annulated tail distinguishes the Ringtail from all other Kansas mammals except the raccoon. The Ringtail is much more slender and agile than the raccoon, and its tail is longer than the head and body (the opposite is true in raccoons). Adults may attain the following dimensions: total length 616-811 mm; length of tail 310-438 mm; length of hind foot 57-78 mm; length of ear 44-52 mm; weight 870-1268 grams.

Distribution:
The distribution of the Ringtail extends from the southwestern United States southward as far as southern Mexico. Kansas is at the northeastern periphery of this distribution, and Ringtails are rare in the state. stern and south-central portions of the state. Kansas represent the northern extreme of the ringtail's range in the Great Plains, and individual records for the state are rare. Professional trappers in the late 1800s reported occasionally seeing ringtails as far north as the northern boundary of Kansas. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data indicate that 86 ringtail pelts were sold in Kansas in 1938, but none were listed as having been sold in Kansas in 1934 or the period 1940-1949. This suggests that the animals might have been trapped elsewhere and transported to Kansas before they were sold. Anecdotal observations contend that 6 ringtails were trapped in Cowley County during the 1940s. Nevertheless, the first voucher specimen of a ringtail in Kansas was not obtained until 1956, when a ringtail was obtained in Lyon County. This was followed by a ringtail obtained in Cowley County in 1962 and a third ringtail obtained in Sedgwick County in 1969. It may be noteworthy that all three of these capture localities were near rail lines because ringtails have been known to "catch a ride on a freight train." In 1973, a farmer near Hugoton, Stevens County, found a ringtail in an irrigation pipe that had been delivered from Texas. Thus, all these animals potentially were introduced rather than native Kansas specimens. However, in 2006 there were two separate sightings of ringtails south of Sun City in Barber County. These locations are not near rail lines. Nevertheless, the animals might have entered the state from Oklahoma on a truck or farm implement. For now, it is best to say that the ringtail is a questionable resident of Kansas that might be found almost anywhere in the state. In other states, it prefers rocky outcrops and canyons in arid or semi-arid situations.
The genus Bassariscus already was represented by several species during the Miocene in Nebraska, Nevada, and California. Dozens of Pleistocene records of Bassariscus astutus exist from Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah.

(, Museum Voucher) (, Observation) (, Literature Record)
Open icons are questionable records; Click on a marker to view details.

Occurrence Summary:
5 Total Records
3 Museum Vouchers
2 Other Observations

Some county occurrences indicated below may be too imprecise to map above.
County Breakdown: County Name (# occurrences):
Barber (2); Cowley (1); Lyon (1); Sedgwick (1);

Natural History:
Ringtails are almost entirely nocturnal, generally emerging about half an hour after sunset and returning to a den at or before sunrise. They are excellent climbers, often ascending or descending shear rock faces or tree trunks. They den in rock crevices, under large boulders, in hollow logs or trees, or in old buildings.

Although omnivorous, Ringtails seem to prefer animal food. Principle foods include arthropods (beetles, grasshoppers, moths, and arachnids), and small mammals (mice, rabbits, and squirrels). Occasionally, they feed on fruit or nectar or take birds, lizards, snakes, frogs, or even fish. They also will consume carrion. Their diet varies seasonally and geographically.

The primary predators on Ringtails are Great Horned Owls, Coyotes, Raccoons, and Bobcats. Diseases such as rabies and both feline and canine panleucopenia are a secondary source of population control in this species. Fur trappers in Texas alone kill as many as 100,000 ringtails annually.

Ringtails breed in the spring, usually in March and April. Gestation lasts 51 to 54 days, and young are born from late April to early June. The one to five (average three or four) young are born blind and covered with thin white hair. Their eyes open during the third and fourth weeks, and their teeth erupt during the fourth or fifth week. The male helps care for the young after they reach the age of about three weeks. Young Ringtails are not weaned until 17 weeks of age. At two months of age the young forage with their parents. They develop their adult fur by three months of age. The young remain with the parents through autumn. Sexual maturity appears to be attained at one year of age. Captive ringtails can produce a second litter in one year if their first litter dies.

Longevity in captivity averages 12-14 years. Longevity in the wild is not known.

Occurrence Activity:

Remarks:
The subspecies that occasionally is found in Kansas evidently is Bassariscus astutus flavus.

Bibliography:

1952	Cockrum, E. L. Mammals of Kansas. Univ. Kansas Publ. Mus. Nat. Hist. 7:1-303. ():
1958	Anderson, S., and B. C. Nelson Additional records of mammals of Kansas. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 60:302-312. ():
1988	Poglayen-Neuwall, I, and D. E. Toweill Bassariscus astutus Mammalian Species 327():1-8
1994	Fitzgerald, J. F., C. A. Meaney, and D. M. Armstrong University Press of Colorado, Niwot, CO. 1-467pp.
1999	Wilson, D. E., and S. Ruff Smithsonian Institution Press, Washsington, DC. 1-750pp.
2008	Timm, R. M., G. R. Pisani, J. R. Choate, N. A. Slade, G. A. Kaufman, and D. W. Kaufman http://www.ku.edu/~mammals, . pp.

Account Last Updated:
12/15/2019 10:30:01 AM

Kansas Mammal Atlas