Bassariscus astutus
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) is a mammal of the raccoon family native to arid regions of North America. It is widely distributed and well-adapted to its distributed areas. It has been legally trapped for its fur. Globally, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List but is a Conservation Strategy Species in Oregon and Fully Protected in California. The ringtail is the state mammal of Arizona.
The species is known by a variety of common names, such as ring-tailed cat, miner's cat, civet cat, and cacomistle (or cacomixtle), though as a relative of the raccoon, the ringtail is only distantly related to Feliform true cats and civets, and "cacomistle" can also refer to B. sumichrasti.
The ringtail is black to dark brown in color with pale underparts. The animal has a pointed muzzle with long whiskers, similar to that of a fox (its Latin name means 'clever little fox') and its body resembles that of a cat. The ringtail's face resembles a mask as dark brown and black hair surround its eyes.
These animals are characterized by a long black and white "ringed" tail with 14–16 stripes, which is about the same length as its body. Ringtails are primarily nocturnal... Wikipedia →
Recording0:25
Mexico · 2024
© Azucena Briones Muñoz · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:04
United States · 2014
russnamitz · iNaturalist · CC0
Recording0:10
United States · 2025
© taday · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Abilene Zoological Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Living Desert Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Ecological Center of Sonora | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Phoenix Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Burgers' Ocean | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 8 | Royal Burgers' Zoo | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 9 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Oregon Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Memphis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | San Antonio Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Chapultepec Zoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 15 | Little Rock Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Zoológico Los Coyotes | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 17 | The Abilene Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Stone Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | ZooAmerica | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 20 | Big Bear Alpine Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Orange County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ringtail sighting in Saguaro National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 17th most-seen of the 24 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February, May, July–August and October–November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ringtail in Saguaro National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–April, June, September and December, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ringtail sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Ringtail sightings, Saguaro National Park ranks 6th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (Mexico, about 10%), Zion National Park (United States, about 10%) and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Procyonidae
The closest relatives of the Ringtail that you can see in Saguaro National Park (family Procyonidae, Raccoons, Coatis, and Allies) are Common Raccoon (about 10%) and White-nosed Coati (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ringtail is recorded against all the mammals logged in Saguaro National Park (13 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
