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TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Idaho biologists are getting new insight into the presence of the elusive ringtail in the state.
Biologists are tracking a female ringtail that was captured on the south side of Twin Falls on March 21 and then fitted with a radio collar.
State Department of Fish and Game biologist Ross Winton tells The Twin Falls Times-News (http://bit.ly/1ictwZa) that biologists have no idea what the ringtail population is in southern Idaho.
This tiny carnivore with big ears, pointed nose, long tail and striking facial markings is a member of the raccoon family. It eats rodents, birds, berries and insects and inhabits mostly the rocky deserts of the Southwest and Mexico.
Biologists plan to start a ringtail DNA database to determine whether Idaho's ringtails are connected with populations in Utah or Nevada.
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Information from: The Times-News, http://www.magicvalley.com
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