88 



YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



California ring-tailed cat 



Small wonder that the naturalists are 

 often asked to identify the California 

 ring-tailed cat. Seen at night in the 

 headlight beam, the long, bushy, ringed 

 tail and the short legs preclude its being 

 a cat; the squirrel-sized body rules out 

 the raccoon; the head is fox-like. In the 

 dark, the body seems gray, but it is really 

 a light brown. Despite the name, it is 

 not closely related to a cat. It is com- 

 monly found at the lower elevations. 



Ringtails are entirely nocturnal, seek- 

 ing their food, rats and mice, at night. 

 They enter buildings, including the attics 



Drawing by C. P. 



of Yosemite homes, in this search. Nuts, 

 fruits, and other sweets are also accept- 

 able to these lovely creatures, according 

 to hotel guests who sometimes feed them. 



Though uncommon, save in the lower 

 country, the Coliiornia coon (or "rac- 

 coon," to be affected) is occasionally ob- 

 served in Yosemite Valley. It is seen 

 more frequently at Wawona and South 

 Entrance (5,130 ft.). 



Nocturnal, like the ring-tailed cat, 

 coons are often confused with them. The 

 tail of the coon is much shorter, propor- 

 tionately, round rather than flattened, 



From cttt by M. V. Hood from est! by M. V H» i 



Tracks of ring-tailed cat. Six-inch pencil. Tracks of coon. Front foot, left, hind foot, right. 



Six-inch pencil. 



