Mammals · Carnivora · Procyonidae
Bassariscus astutus
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
Popularly known as the miner's cat, it was informally domesticated in the 19th century to keep rodents down. Its other name, cacomistle, comes from Nahuatl and means "nimble thief", a nod to its skill at climbing by night.
Weight
800 g – 1.3 kg
Size
61 cm – 84 cm
Life expectancy
7 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
AI-generated images: illustrations, not photographs.
Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; AnAge; Britannica; AnimalHub; American Society of Mammalogists; MSU Brain Museum; SDZWA Library Fact Sheet; The Animal Files
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 24.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Ringtail — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
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