Badger.
The RINGTAIL, a smaller relative of the raccoon, is somewhat similar in habitat preference and nocturnal habits. Its flattened, bushy tail, acting as a balancer, helps this short-legged, agile animal in leaping from point to point on the steep rocky surfaces it seems to favor. It sometimes takes up residence in little-used or abandoned buildings, where small rodents, its principal source of food, are usually abundant. About the size of a house cat, it has large eyes and ears and alternating dark and light bands on its tail.
A tropical animal that seems to be extending its range northward, the COATI (or coatimundi) is often seen in the forests of the Rincons. With long snout and long, banded tail, it looks something like an elongated raccoon, to which it too is related. These omnivorous animals travel in bands, rooting among leaves for insects and whatever else they can find.
Coati, or coatimundi.
Desert vegetation near Red Hill, Tucson Mountain Section.
the rhythms of nature
Natural landscapes may appear unchanging, but this is illusion. Within the apparent constancy, daily and seasonal cycles, fluctuations in numbers, and long-term change are the rule.