Cordelia » Fri Mar 04, 2016 9:40 am wrote: Things are getting wild in Northern Virginia: Raccoon and fox attacks reported"A man fought off a raccoon that bit him and eventually killed it by putting his foot on its throat in Fairfax County. And two women were bitten by foxes in separate incidents in the county.
The incident with the raccoon happened Thursday about 11 a.m. in the Clifton area.
Police said the man was awakened by a raccoon in his home. It’s not immediately clear how the animal got inside."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/th ... story.htmlEdited to add that I had a 'pet' raccoon as a child; they're
very intelligent and dexterous creatures.
There is much wildlife where I live because the location is within a National Forest. Wildlife comes into my yard and gets into garbage (black bear, feral cats, spotted and striped skunks, raccoons, and red fox. Other wildlife that comes into my yard include deer and coyote and the dogs once treed a mountain lion across the USFS road from my house that is on property I own. I have no dog(s) now. I have several pear trees that tend to have large amount of fruit on the ground that I rake into piles for convenient eating and removal by black bear.
The last two years my garbage is never spread like to the extent nor as often as prior. The feral cats that had infested an out building for 20 years have disappeared. The quail that usually are busy with their young in the Spring are not present either.
Why? A ring tailed cat took residence under my deck. Last Spring there were three kits hidden in the tall grass I was about to weed eat. This Spring there was a racket and there were two ring tails frozen in a stare down with me on the deck; I think they were mating. I see the ring tail at night about once a week where it will not approach me but does not run off either. The ring tail cat seems to have staked out a territory and keeps other wildlife away.
The ring tail are nocturnal and one mostly sees them driving at night. In the Karuk regalia for the World Renewal Ceremony / White Deerskin Dance / Pichi 'avich, ring tail cat tails are made into an apron worn by the shaman. The ceremony takes place at Tisshanik by the River below my home.
Note: Not my house, an internet photo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring-tailed_catThe ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) is a mammal of the raccoon family, native to arid regions of North America. It is also known as the ringtail cat, ring-tailed cat, miner's cat or bassarisk, and is also sometimes mistakenly called a "civet cat" (after similar, though unrelated, cat-like omnivores of Asia and Africa). The ringtail is sometimes called a cacomistle, though this term seems to be more often used to refer to Bassariscus sumichrasti.
Note: Where I live is lush forests on a ledge between two creeks about 500 feet elevation and 3/8 miles from a major river. Lots of water and green, Douglas-fir and mixed hardwood forest.
Description
The ringtail is buff to dark brown in color with white underparts and a flashy black and white striped tail that has 14–16 white and black stripes,[2] which is longer than the rest of its body. The claws are short, straight, and semi-retractable.[3] The eyes are large and black, each surrounded by a patch of light fur. It is smaller than a house cat and is one of the smallest extant procyonids (only the smallest in the olingo species group average smaller). It measures 30–42 cm (12–17 in) long to the base of the tail with the tail adding another 31–44 cm (12–17 in). It can weigh from 0.7 to 1.5 kg (1.5 to 3.3 lb).[4] Ringtails have occasionally been hunted for their pelts, but the fur is not especially valuable.
Typically weighing around three pounds, ringtails possess superb hearing and eyes that allow them to move about at night. A nocturnal creature, the ringtail's large eyes and upright ears make it easier for it to move about in the dark. Its fur ranges in coloring from tawny to grayish, and a pointed muzzle with long whiskers resembles that of a fox - which is appropriate in that its very name means ‘clever little fox’. Its tail is about a foot long, with seven to nine black rings and is about the same length as the animal's body. Like its namesake, the ringtail uses this tail for balancing when moving about its habitat. The tail also serves another purpose, acting as a distraction for potential predators. The white rings provide predators with a focus other than the ringtail itself; by grabbing the tail rather than the body, the ringtail has a greater chance of escaping.[5] Additionally, their semi-retractable claws and long tail provide the ringtail with tools ideal for climbing [6]
Ecology
In areas with a bountiful source of water, as many as 50 ringtails/sq. mile have been found. Ranging from 50 to 100 acres, the territories of male ringtails occasionally intersect with several females [7] It has been suggested that ringtails utilize feces as a way to mark territory. In 2003, a study done in Mexico City found that ringtails tended to defecate in similar areas in a seemingly nonrandom pattern, mimicking that of other carnivores that utilized excretions to mark territories.[8] Ringtails prefer a solitary existence but may share a den or be found mutually grooming one another. Limited interaction except during the breeding season which occurs in the early springtime. Occasional prey to coatis, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, lynxes, and mountain lions, the ringtail is rather adept at avoiding predators. Its ability to excrete musk when startled or threatened is largely attributed to the ringtail’s success in deterring potential predators. The main predators of the ringtail are the Great Horned Owl and the Red-tailed Hawk.[7]
Note: Red-tailed Hawk are common and Bald Eagles and ospreys nest nearby. Goshawks are also present but uncommon to see as are Northern Spotted owls. There are definite spots where feces accumulates i
