Observations on the Ring-Tailed Cat

Abstract

The recent article by Taylor (Jour. Mamm., 35:55–63,1954) on the ring-tailed cat stimulated these additional remarks. In the fall of 1944, while I was on duty with the USAAF at San Angelo, Texas, my wife and I were presented with a young female Bassariscus as tutus . It had been captured for me by a game warden somewhere southwest of San Angelo. He informed me that he obtained it from a nest in a rock wall, and that they were easy to locate in such places since the young ringtails could be heard voicing annoyance when one passed by. Our Bassariscus never became fully tame, probably in part because we kept it caged much of the time. It enjoyed running about on the sun porch and climbing on the screens when allowed the freedom of the house. It made no serious efforts that we could see to get outside. Picking it up was …