WILDLIFE OF THE WEEK
Ringtail
This week’s WotW is an animal I’ve hoped to meet since seeing it in Ranger Rick magazine as a child, the ringtail (Bassariscus astutus). Known by a variety of colorful names like miner’s cat and cacomistle (my personal favorite), this agile, adorable member of the raccoon family is among the most charismatic desert fauna of North America. Between its tiny, agile paws, catlike face and ears, and massive, fluffy tail, it gives off a rather cuddly impression for something so elusive and hard to spot.
Like many of its relatives, the ringtail is nocturnal, an advantageous life history strategy in its desert habitats, where temperatures routinely exceed 104°F (40°C) and can climb close to 118°F (48°C). Ringtails’ large, dark eyes (a key aspect of their cuteness!) help them see at night, when they emerge from daytime lairs like tree cavities or abandoned animal burrows to look for food.
Ringtails have an extremely variable diet, eating more or less whatever they can get their little paws on, from insects and frogs to carrion, fruit, and, as my fiancée and I discovered, even birdseed! A quick side note for context: if you’re wondering why this newsletter is late, it’s for a rather fun reason. I spent the last week travelling through Southeastern Arizona for an engagement trip with said fiancée, and had limited internet access during our exciting adventures.
One of our last stops was a naturalist retreat deep in a desert canyon, complete with birdfeeders out the back window for watching the sparrows, jays, and turkeys that frequent that habitat. However, while washing dishes on the first evening I noticed a strange shape in the darkness, and opened the back door to spot a long, black-and-white tail hanging from the feeder. The first ringtail I’ve ever laid eyes upon gave me a quick, unconcerned look before it resumed munching on the black sunflower seeds I’d left out that afternoon.
This unexpected guest stuck around for an hour or more before disappearing between my checks out the door, and was back the following night at a later hour, when I managed to record a quick video. Needless to say, this encounter was a welcome addition to the phenomenal birdwatching of the trip, and truly a highlight of an already delightful week.
Do ringtails deserve their own Wildlife Spotlight post on the Gulo in Nature blog? Give me a shout if you think so!
A ringtail cat in captivity (© Eduardo Fernández Reza)
The culprit as encountered outside our window—gobbling birdseed for over an hour!
The ringtail’s habitat—scrubby juniper-cottonwood forest surrounded by steep, rocky canyons.
LATEST BLOG POST
How to Choose a Pair of Binoculars
Binoculars are a naturalist must-have, letting you scope out areas in the distance or get a closer look at wildlife without disturbing it.
The non-nature question I get most often from readers and friends is for advice on outdoor gear, and most frequently binoculars. As an avid wildlife water, I’ve been an enthusiastic optics user for more than 15 years, and have enjoyed closer looks at plants and animals, as well as sightings I might never have noticed, as a result. But as with many shopping decisions, options for binoculars can quickly get overwhelming and make it hard to find what you need. Binoculars in particular have a dizzying array of designs and specifications that can be discouraging and confusing. To help sort this out, as a follow-up to my post on how to use binoculars I have updated and reworked an old post to provide a helpful guide on things to consider when shopping for a pair of binoculars. Beyond common-sense explanations for major terms you’ll come across, it also includes my personal favorite pair for general use. Coming soon, a follow-up on this one with a broader number of options and recommendations for different types of outdoor activities. Stay tuned!
RECOMMENDED READING
Natural Environments of Arizona by P.F. FFolliott and O.K. Davis
North American Deserts: Ecology of Our Arid Lands by S.P. Graham
A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert by S.J. Phillips and P. Wentworth
NATURALIST WORD OF THE WEEK
Hoodoo (n.) - A tall column of rock formed by erosion of layers of softer rock underlying a “cap” of harder material, and common in areas of ancient volcanic activity where relatively hard and soft layers alternate in strata. Not to be confused with the African spiritual term, ‘hoodoo’ in a geological sense derives from a Southern Paiute word, as these geological formations are common in their ancestral lands of the Southwestern United States.
Want more Gulo in Nature?
▶ Join the Patreon to get your nature questions answered, have personalized consultations, and more!
▶ Buy Charles a coffee to say thanks and keep the nature content coming!
▶ Have a cool recent nature sighting? A burning question? Contact Gulo in Nature and let us know!
▶ Subscribe if you were forwarded this email and want to stay up to date with Gulo in Nature.