The cacomistle (; ''Bassariscus sumichrasti'') is a nocturnal,

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. The habitats pose nu ...

and

omnivorous An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nut ...

member of the carnivoran family Procyonidae. Its preferred habitats are wet,

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

, evergreen woodlands and mountain forests, though seasonally it will venture into drier

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

forests. Nowhere in its range (from southern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

to western

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

) is ''B. sumichrasti'' common. This is especially true in Costa Rica, where it inhabits only a very small area. It is completely dependent on forest habitat, making it particularly susceptible to

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...

. The term ''cacomistle'' is from the Nahuatl language (''tlahcomiztli'') and means "half cat" or "half mountain lion"; it is sometimes also used to refer to the ringtail, ''Bassariscus astutus'', a similar species that inhabits arid northern Mexico and the

American Southwest The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado ...

Taxonomy

The cacomistle is part of the family Procyonidae which includes other small omnivores such as the

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

and the

coati Coatis, also known as coatimundis (), are members of the family Procyonidae in the genera ''Nasua'' and ''Nasuella''. They are diurnal mammals native to South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States. The name ...

. The cacomistle and its close relative, the ringtail, are the only living species of the subfamily Procyoninae and the genus ''

Bassariscus ''Bassariscus'' is a genus in the family Procyonidae. There are two extant species in the genus: the ring-tailed cat or ringtail (''B. astutus'') and the cacomistle (''B. sumichrasti''). Genetic studies have indicated that the closest relatives of ...

''. Within the Cacomistle species there are 5 subspecies (''Bassariscus sumichrasti variabilis, Bassariscus sumichrasti sumichrasti, Bassariscus sumichrasti oaxacensis, Bassariscus sumichrasti notinus'', and ''Bassariscus sumichrasti latrans'').Cacomistle Pictures and Facts
thewebsiteofeverything.com

Description

This species of cacomistle's body is 38–47 cm in length, which is attached to a tail of approximately the same length, if not longer (typically 39–53 cm long). The male cacomistle is often slightly longer than its female counterpart, however both male and female have approximately the same weight, usually between 1 and 1.5 kg. Their body consists of dark brown and grey fur, which stands as a stark contrast to the black and white striped tail. The tail stripes are the most defined near the animal's posterior end and gradually fade to a solid black at the end of the tail. The cacomistle is often confused with its close relative the

Ring-tailed cat The ringtail (''Bassariscus astutus'') is a mammal of the raccoon family native to arid regions of North America. It is widely distributed and well adapted to disturbed areas. It has been legally trapped for its fur. It is listed as Least Co ...

(Scientific name: ''Bassariscus astutus'') because of the similarity of their appearance, but unlike the ring-tail cat the cacomistle does not have retractable claws. The cacomistle can also be identified by its faded tail and the observation of ears that come to a point.

Distribution and habitat

The cacomistle inhabits the tropical forests of North America and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, from south-central

. These animals are quite solitary and thus spread themselves out, with each cacomistle having a

home range A home range is the area in which an animal lives and moves on a periodic basis. It is related to the concept of an animal's territory which is the area that is actively defended. The concept of a home range was introduced by W. H. Burt in 1943. He ...

of at least 20 hectares (an area equivalent to 20 sports fields) and are typically seen in the middle and upper levels of the canopy. Throughout their broad range this species is found to inhabit a wide variety of different forest ecosystems. In Mexico, the cacomistle tends to avoid oak forests, secondary forest, and overgrown pastures, but in Costa Rica, the cacomistle has been shown to favor those exact habitats.

Diet

Cacomistles are considered generalist feeders, because they can survive on a wide variety of different foods. The diet of this species consists primarily of fruits, insects, small

vertebrates Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () (chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, with c ...

such as reptiles, amphibians, and rodents, the specificity of these food options depends on what is available in the particular habitat in which an individual dwells. The bromeliad is an excellent reservoir for food in the southern edge of the cacomistle's range, as these plants naturally collect water, insects and small animals found high in the canopy.

Reproduction

Mating season is the only time cacomistles interact with each other, and it is only briefly as the female is only receptive to male approaches for one day. After mating, the female cacomistle undergoes a gestation period of approximately two months before giving birth to a single offspring. When the cub is three months old it is weaned, and then taught hunting and survival skills by its mother before going off to develop its own territory.Trout, J.(2006)
''Central American Cacomistle''
pensacolastate.edu

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q838840 Procyonidae Carnivorans of Central America Carnivorans of North America Mammals of Mexico Least concern biota of North America Mammals described in 1860