Ringtail is a small North American mammal of the raccoon family. It is also called ring-tailed cat. The ringtail has a slender, grayish-tan body and a long, bushy tail with white and black bands. The animal measures 25 to 32 inches (64 to 81 centimeters) long, including the tail, which is 12 to 17 inches (30 to 43 centimeters) long. Ringtails have large eyes ringed with black; whitish facial fur; large, pointed ears; and catlike feet.
Ringtails inhabit woodlands, chaparrals, and deserts from southern Oregon and southwestern Wyoming south to central Mexico and east to Louisiana. A closely related animal called the cacomistle lives in forests of southern Mexico and Central America. Ringtails make nests of leaves and grass in caves, hollow tree trunks, tangled roots, cracks in rocks, abandoned burrows, and buildings. They feed on mice and other small mammals, insects, fruits, acorns, and birds. Ringtails are hunted by great horned owls and bobcats .
Ringtails mate in late winter or early spring. The female carries the young inside her body for about eight weeks and then gives birth to two to four babies. The parents bring food to the young until late summer, when the young begin to hunt. Ringtails occasionally live up to 10 years. They can be tamed as pets and are good at catching mice around mountain cabins.
