Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Oregon
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

The ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) is a small, secretive, omnivorous, nocturnal relative of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) that occurs in southwesthern Oregon, the most northern portion of the species range. Ringtail are listed as “Sensitive” and a Conservation Strategy species in Oregon with identified knowledge gaps including the need for an assessment of the species distribution and abundance, and basic information on habitat use and selection across all life stages. In collaboration with Oregon Department of Conservation and Oregon State University, this project will estimate annual and seasonal survival rates, home range size, movement patterns and vegetation characteristics of home ranges and den sites for ringtail in Oregon. These data will aid in the development of a large-scale monitoring program for ringtail in Oregon, and add to our basic understanding of ringtail ecology at the most northern edge of their distribution.