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Ring-tailed cat
The ringtail (''Bassariscus astutus'') is a mammal of the raccoon family (thus not actually a cat), native to arid regions of North America. It is also known as the ringtail cat, ring-tailed cat, miner's cat or bassarisk, and is also sometimes mistakenly called a "civet cat" (after similar, though unrelated, cat-like omnivores of Asia and Africa). The ringtail is sometimes called a cacomistle, though this term seems to be more often used to refer to ''Bassariscus sumichrasti''.
==Description==
The ringtail cat 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 black, each surrounded by a patch of light fur. It is smaller than a housecat and is one of the smallest extant procyonids (only the smallest in the olingo species group average smaller). It measures long to the base of the tail with the tail adding another . It can weigh from .〔Hunter, Luke (2011) ''Carnivores of the World'', Princeton University Press, ISBN 9780691152288〕 Ringtails have occasionally been hunted for their pelts, but the fur is not especially valuable.
Typically weighing around three pounds, ringtails possess superb hearing and eyes that allow them to move about at night. A nocturnal creature, the ringtail's large eyes and upright ears make it easier for it to move about in the dark. Its fur ranges in coloring from tawny to grayish, and a pointed muzzle with long whiskers resembles that of a fox - which is appropriate in that its very name means ‘clever little fox’. Its tail is about a foot long, with seven to nine black rings and is about the same length as the animal's body. Like its namesake, the ringtail cat uses this tail for balancing when moving about its habitat. The tail also serves another purpose, acting as a distraction for potential predators. The white rings provide predators with a focus other than the ringtail itself; by grabbing the tail rather than the body, the ringtail has a greater chance of escaping.〔Bibliography Gilbert, Bil. "Ringtails." Smithsonian 08 2000: 65-70. ProQuest. Web. 2 Apr. 2015 .〕 Additionally, their semi-retractable claws and long tail provide the ringtail with tools ideal for climbing 〔Trapp, Gene R. "Some Anatomical and Behavioral Adaptations of Ringtails, Bassariscus Astutus." Journal of Mammalogy. Vol. 53. N.p.: Oxford UP, n.d. 549-57. Print.〕
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