Ring-tailed Cat

The ring-tailed cat, despite its name, is not a cat but a small nocturnal member of the raccoon family found in arid and rocky habitats across the southwestern United States and Mexico. It has large eyes, a slender fox-like body, and a bushy tail ringed in black and white that is nearly as long as its body, aiding balance as it climbs cliffs and canyon walls. It preys on rodents, insects, and small birds and was long valued by miners and settlers for controlling rodents around buildings, giving it the folk name miner's cat.