In a narrow den often padded with moss, grass, or leaves, the Ringtail sleeps by day, lying on its side, its back (summer), or with its tail wrapped about its curled body (winter). It grooms itself upon awakening, scratching with a hindleg, licking its fur, and using its moistened forepaws to clean ears, cheeks, and nose. The Ringtail can leap like a squirrel, and its extraordinarily sharp claws permit it to climb walls or trees. By night, this carnivore ambushes its prey, pouncing and forcing the animal down with its forepaws, then delivering a fatal bite to the neck. It generally begins to eat by devouring its victim’s head. The Ringtail’s varied diet includes grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, centipedes, and scorpions; snakes, lizards, toads, and frogs; small birds; small mammals such as rats, mice, squirrels, and rabbits, as well as carrion; and fruit such as persimmons, juniper berries, hackberries, and mistletoe. Young Ringtails are white-haired, fuzzy, and stubby-tailed at birth, but they soon acquire adult coloration and longer tails. Three to four weeks after the birth of the young, the male joins his mate in bringing food to the den. Ringtails hunt independently at about four months of age and disperse in late fall. They squeak when young, but can bark, scream, and snarl in adulthood. When threatened or fighting, the Ringtail screams and secretes a foul-smelling fluid from the anal glands, earning it the name "Civet Cat." This is an allusion to the African carnivore Civettictis civetta, which produces a musky substance called civet that is used in perfumes. The name "Cacomistle" derives from tlacomiztli, which in the language of Mexico’s Nahuatl Indians means "half mountain lion." Better mousers than house cats, Ringtails were once placed in frontier mines to control rodents; hence the name "Miner’s Cat." The chief predators of this animal are the Bobcat and the great horned owl. Neither the fur nor the meat of the Ringtail is considered valuable, but the animal is sometimes killed by humans because of its habit of raiding henhouses.

description Body cat-like; face somewhat fox-like. Yellowish gray above; whitish buff below. Very long, bushy tail with 14–16 bands, alternating black and white, ending with black at tip; black bands do not meet on underside. Relatively large ears and eyes. No black mask; white or pale eye ring. 5 toes on each foot; claws partially retractile. L 24–32" (616–811 mm); T 12 1/4 –17 1/4" (310–438 mm); HF 2 1/4–3 1/8" (55–78 mm); Wt 1 7/8–2 1/2 lb (870–1,100 g).

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