ADW: Bassariscus Astutus: INFORMATION - Animal Diversity Web

Reproduction

The mating system of these procyonids has not been reported.

Female ringtails are undergo a single estrous cycle in a season, usually mating from February to May. Heat usually lasts from 24 to 36 hours. The gestation period is short among the Procyonidae , and ranges from 51 to 54 days. Birth usually occurs in May or June with a litter size ranging from one to four.

Females choose a den in a rock crevice, boulder pile, or tree hollow in which they bear their young. Newborns are altricial with a mass of 25 g. Neonates open their eyes around one month of age. The young can take solid food at 30 to 40 days of age and are weaned at about 10 weeks. The female is mainly responsible for care, and forages with her young beginning when they are about 2 months old. The father is sometimes tolerated and may play with the young as they grow older. Ringtails reach sexual maturity in both sexes near 10 months of age (Poglayen-Neuwall, 1990).

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• viviparous viviparous

Breeding season Breeding season occurs from February to May. Range number of offspring 1 to 5 Average number of offspring 3 AnAge Range gestation period 51 to 54 days Average weaning age 10 weeks Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female) 10 months Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female) Sex: female 300 days AnAge Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male) 10 months Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male) Sex: male 300 days AnAge

Females are known to care for the young. They nurse the young for 10-12 weeks, and allow the young to accompany them when they forage. Males have been known to play with older offspring, and so may play some role in parental care, although no more than this has been documented.

• Parental Investment
• altricial altricial
• pre-fertilization
  • provisioning
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-hatching/birth
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • male
    • female