Description

Usually gray-brown or orange-brown above, with much black; grayish below. Face has black mask outlined in white. Tail bushy, with 4-6 alternating black and brown or brownish-gray rings. Ears are relatively small. L24-37"; T 1 1/2-16"; HF 3 1/4-5 3/8"; Wt 12-48lb.

Similar Species

White-nosed Coati has long, thin, indistinctly banded tail, and much less prominent mask. Ringtail lacks mask and has longer tail.

Breeding

Mates January-March; litter of 1-8 young born April-May after gestation of 63 days. Birth weight 2 oz.

Sign

Crayfish leavings along shores, streams, or ponds; broken stalks, shredded husks, scattered kernels, and gnawed cod ends in cornfields.

Den: Usually a hollow tree, sometimes with scratched or torn bark; may have scat accumulated at base. Fissures, burrows, old chimneys or buildings, and other protected spots may be used.

Scat: Droppings inconsistent in shape but generally cylindrical, uniform in diameter, about 2" long; granular, varying from black to reddish and sometimes bleached white. Scat resembles that of Virginia Opossum and skunks, but is often deposited on logs, large tree limbs, or stones crossing a stream.

Tracks

Habitat

Various wooded and wetland habitats; common along wooded streams. Often found in cities and suburbs as well as in rural areas.

Other

Other