What is "cacomistle"

n. (alternative spelling of cacomixl English)

n : raccoon-like omnivorous mammal of Mexico and the southwestern United States having a long bushy tail with black and white rings [syn: bassarisk, cacomixle, coon cat, raccoon fox, ringtail, ring-tailed cat, civet cat, miner's cat, Bassariscus astutus]

The cacomistle, Bassariscus sumichrasti, is a nocturnal, arboreal and omnivorous member of the carnivoran family Procyonidae. Its preferred habitats are wet, tropical, evergreen woodlands and mountain forests, though seasonally it will venture into drier deciduous forests.

Nowhere in its range (from southern Mexico to western Panama) 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.

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.