#ringtail

Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), family Procyonidae, Mexico

AKA Ring-tailed Cat, Cacomistle, Miner's Cat.

Not a cat, but in the Raccoon family.

Nature is filled with many wonders. These are just a few of the amazing creatures that live within it.

The Sand Cat:

The Major Mitchell's Cockatoo:

The Ringtail:

The Leafy Sea Dragon:

The Bilby:

The Banded Palm Civet:

The Lesser Sooty Owl:

The Spanish Shawl Nudibranch:

The Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel:

The Coati:

The Hoatzin:

The Ring-Tailed Vontsira:

The Aardwolf:

The Zorrilla:

The Andean Mountain Cat:

The Resplendent Quetzal:

The Peacock Mantis Shrimp:

The Common Raccoon Dog:

The Owston's Palm Civet:

The Broad-Striped Malagasy Mongoose:

I haven't done it in a long while, sure!

Let’s head to the Museum’s Hall of North American Mammals to take a peek at today’s Exhibit of the Day: the Spotted Skunk and Ringtail Diorama. This scene takes place in Shiprock, New Mexico, and features a spotted skunk doing a handstand. What for? It’s a warning to discourage the two curious ringtails from getting any closer. If this pose doesn’t work, the skunk will release jets of foul-smelling musk from glands under its tail. But ringtails also combine chemistry with defensive body language. Here, one ringtail has made its tail fur stand upright, creating the illusion of larger size. If the standoff escalates, the ringtail might curve its tail over its head, and—as a last resort—emit its own smelly secretion.