Ringtail

One of the most reclusive creatures in the Sonoran desert is the ringtail. They're Arizona's state mammal. About the size of a squirrel, they're elongated by an extravagant tail often compared to a feather boa. They're nocturnal, fierce predators of small rodents, lizards, snakes, birds and insects, although they'll also eat fruits and berries.  They're magnificent climbers, with rear feet that rotate 180 degrees so they can go down vertical faces nose-first.  The picture here is from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, one of the greatest sources of information about all the creatures inhabiting this part of the world.  Please take a look at their page, since I've borrowed their photo. 

We don't actually live in the Sonoran Desert, but in a high desert transition zone. We've never seen any evidence of ringtails in our neighborhood, and the only couple I've seen outside captivity were roadkill.

Until last night.

We've had some strange nocturnal visitor for several nights. We started calling it the jackalope because when it runs across the roof it sounds much heavier than the birds or rodents who usually come calling. The dogs, which usually ignore such things, have been upset by it on several occasions, resulting in loud fits of barking that wake us up in the middle of the night.

Last night, they barked and I went out to see what they were barking at.  Up in the rafters over the front sidewalk, I saw it, crouching on a beam, its generous tail tucked around it.  It looked at me. Recognizing it for the unusual visitor it was, I went back to the door and called the rest of the family. By the time they could get out without dogs, it got tired of waiting and sprang from the beam into the carport, a flash of gray-brown fur and that striped tail.

Later, the dogs barked again.  I went out and heard a strange noise that seemed to be coming from our outside freezer, in the carport: a scratching noise, accompanied by a bizarre sort of bark.  After ascertaining that it wasn't inside the freezer, we realized that there was a space beneath and behind the freezer, an open area for the appliance's motor (or whatever it's called on freezers).  I tugged the freezer away from the wall and the ringtail darted out into the night. This time the whole family got a look at it.

We don't want to discourage anything that eats rodents and snakes from living here, but inside the freezer is not the best place to have a ringtail. And living too close to the house is just going to drive the dogs nuts and interfere with our sleep.  But I'm delighted that we actually have one in the neighborhood, and hope it feels free to come around whenever it wants to. It's an amazing little creature, and since we don't have chickens it's not likely to predate anything important to us. I hope he comes back soon.

Comments

[Mara]

This is a fantastic story! Thank you for sharing it!
I think the ringtail is a very uncommon mammal, very interesting but difficult to see..do you try to catch some shot of it?

And, definitely, you are my favourite writer!
Mara

[Jeff Mariotte]

Mara,

It didn't stick around long enough for me to get my camera out.  I should have grabbed it while it was hiding behind the freezer but I was too concerned with making sure it wasn't stuck in there (and didn't want it to live there).  If it ever comes back, I will.

Thanks!