THE CAT THAT ISN'T

by Shane Kiefer, Senior Wildlife Biologist, Plateau Land & Wildlife Management

While the ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) is often called a ringtail "cat," this saucer-eyed creature is actually one of the three members of the raccoon family (Procyonidae) that occur in Texas (the white-nosed coati is the third and least common). The origin of their moniker is obvious for anyone who has seen a ringtail. Their tail is in fact banded with 14-16 alternating black and white rings. Many people may never have seen a ringtail as they are strongly nocturnal and notably shy animals. It is not uncommon to see them during the many deer spotlight surveys we perform in the late summer and fall.

Ringtails occur throughout Texas, but are less common in the Rio Grande and Coastal Plains areas. They are cavity nesters and will use snags, old stumps, deer blinds, and any other protected cavity for denning. But, in particular, ringtails love rocky areas, and are one of the species that benefits from keeping those old rock fences that can be found all across the Edwards Plateau.

Just like their raccoon cousins, ringtails are omnivores. Their diet changes with the seasons and includes carrion, insects, and other arthropods such as grasshoppers, scorpions, and spiders. They also consume small birds, lizards, and fruits like persimmon, hackberry, juniper, and mistletoe.

As with any other native predator, providing high quality habitat for songbirds, reptiles, and other potential ringtail prey makes it less likely that they will have a negative impact. Most native predators are forced to live within the balance of the natural system unless we do things to artificially inflate their numbers (raccoons at deer feeders and trash cans come to mind). Healthy habitats also have lots of other food items (like fruit and insects) that they will readily eat if available so they don't need to go hunting for songbirds.

Ringtails are cavity nesters and will use snags, old stumps, deer blinds, and any other protected cavity for denning. They also love rocky areas, and provide the occasional pretty darn cute surprise for those checking larger nest boxes.