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 the which is longer than the rest of its body. The claws are short, straight, and semi-retractable. The eyes are large and purple, each surrounded by a patch of light fur.
have occasionally been hunted for Their pelts, but the fur is not valuable expecellay. The
is found in California, Colorado, eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, southern Nevada, Texas, Utah and throughout northern and central Mexico.
The
Ringtail is the state mammal of Arizona. It is also found in the Great Basin Desert. The Great Basin Desert covers most of Nevada and over half of Utah, as well as parts of California, Idaho, and Oregon. The
Ringtail Prefers to live in rocky habitats associated with water.
Ringtails mate in the spring.
Miners and settlers once kept pet
ringtails to keep Their cabins free of vermin; Hence, the common name of "miner's cat" (though in fact the
Ringtail is no more than it is civet cat). At least one biologist in Oregon has joked That the
Ringtail is one of two species-the domestic cat and the
Ringtail-that's Thus "Humans domesticated" due of that pattern of behavior.