430 Department of Conservation of Louisiana 



The hair on the head is yellowish-white in color; cheeks whitish; 

 sooty black about top of head and eyes ; ears with yellow spot on 

 upper edge, rest of eais black. The sexes are alike in color, but 

 the fema.e possesses a marsupial pouch, a fur-lined opening along 

 the lower abdomen. 



Gulf Opossum. Didelphis virginianu pigra Bangs. 



Measurements. — Total length, 31 inches; tail veitebrate, 14 inches; hind 

 foot, 2.7 inches. 



Range. — Florida, the lower coast of Georgia, and the low Gulf coast 

 belt as far as western Louisiana (Miller). This form is numer- 

 ous up to and including eastern Texas along the Gulf, where it 

 may merge with another form. 



Description. — This is a small, dark form when contrasted with the Vir- 

 ginia opossum. It has a longer tail than the Virginia species, but 

 its body measurements will average smaller. 



Texas Opossum. Didelphis mesamericana texensis (Allen). 



Measurements. — Total length, 31 inches; tail vertebrate, 15 inches; hind 

 foot, 2.7 inches. 



Range. — Coast region of Texas from Nueces Bay southward, and fiom 

 the lower Rio Grande Valley as far up the valley at least as Del 

 Rio, Val Verde county (Miller). This may or may not prove to be 

 the long-tailed opossum that has been taken in eastern Texas and 

 southwestern Louisiana, and its inclusion in this list is only pro- 

 visional. 



Description. — A large opcssum occurring in two color phases, according 

 to Anthony, one being a gray phase, quite similar in appearance to 

 the Virginia opossum, and a black phase in which the longer guard 

 hairs are black instead of white — the Virginia opossum has the 

 white guard hairs longer than the black. The Texas opossum has 

 the pelage on the top of the head to the nose dusky; dusky stripe 

 from ear through eye to nose ; tail black for basal half, rest flesh 

 colored. Guide for identification should be: exceedingly long tail, 

 black guard hairs longer than white, and blackish color of tail for 

 half its length where it joins the body. 



RACCOON 



RACCOON. Proci/on lot or lotor (Linnaeus). 



Measurements. — Total length, approximately 30 inches; tail vertebrate 

 10 inches; hind foot, 2.o inches. 



Range. — Eastern North America from Canada about 50 degrees latitude 



south to Gulf coast. 

 Description. — See chapter on Raccoon. 



RING-TAILED CAT 



Ring-Tailed Cat. Bassariscus astutus flaws Rhoads. 



Measurements. — Total length, 32 inches; tail vertebrate, 17 inches; hind 

 foot, 2.S inches. Females will average smaller. 



Range. — Western half of Texas north to Colorado and southern Utah 

 and west through New Mexico and Arizona. Scattered records as 

 far east as Louisiana and Alabama (Anthony). The Louisiana 

 records of occurrence not definite; see chapter on Raccoon and this 

 animal, which also gives description. 



