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Show makes long searches for food. Thoy are excellent climbers and spend a good deal of time above ground. The ring-tail is easily tamed and is often kept as a house pet and is of some value as a mouser. Dens are usually made in crevices crev-ices in cliffs, or in holes in trees, usually relatively close to water, and the nests are often lined with moss. The young, usually 2 to 4 in a litter are born during May and June. Little else is known of their breeding habits and the young animals. Habitat of ring-tail: The animal prefers the warmer desert climates but is sometimes found up to elevations ele-vations of 10,000 feet, usually in rocky areas, where breaks or crevices crev-ices in the cliffs provide some shelter. In Utah the animals are most common in the southern part of the state, but the Utah State Agricultural College has one specimen from Logan canyon, and state trappers have taken them in the Uintahs. Food Habits: The ring-tail lives largely, on small mammals, insects, reptiles and birds. Like the racoon, ra-coon, the ring-tail can and does live for long periods of time on vegetable matter, fruis, nuts, berries ber-ries and seeds. Even bat are included in-cluded in the diet. Economic relations: Prior to 1930 the pelt of the ring- tail was of some value in the fur industry. Since that time the value has dropped to below one dollar and has averaged less than 50 cents. At present the animal is of no value as a fur bearer in Utah. Since very little is known of the ring-tail cat, its relationship to other species has not been determined. FACTS OF INTEREST ABOUT UTAH MAMMALS Jack H. Berryman Family Procyonidae Racoons and Ring-tailed Cats. The family Procyondae is characterized char-acterized by animal whose heads are broad posteriously, tapering to narrow muzzles. They walk with the, sole and heel of the foot touching the ground, much the same as bears and man. The toes are long and fully separated; with non retractile claws. The most distinguished dis-tinguished feature is that the tail is banded, or ringed with light and dark bands. Ring-tailed Cat (Bassariscus astutus) The ring-tailed cat is one cf the most interesting of our native mammals, and one about which very little is known. The name is derived from two Latin word, "bassariscus," meaning little fox and "astutus," meaning wise. The name is well deserved and it is rare indeed to see one of these small, racoon-like animal. The ring-tailed cat is known in different localities by various common com-mon names: bassarisk, civet cat, desert coon, and others. The ring-tailed cat, actually net a cat at all, is about the size of a house cat with a long banded tail, marked with from 7 to 9 alternating alternat-ing light and dark bands. Above and below each eye is a dark spot; the snout is long and slender. slend-er. The fur on the upper parts is yellowish grey, fading to a buff on the under parts. The ring-tall is nocturnal and rarely ventures out during the hours of the daylight, but at night |