Ringtails are primarily nocturnal, with large eyes and upright ears that make it easier for them to navigate and forage in the dark.

The white rings act as a target, so when the tail rather than the body is caught, the ringtail has a greater chance of escaping.

The long tail provides balance for negotiating narrow ledges and limbs, even allowing individuals to reverse directions by performing a cartwheel.

Ringtails have been reported to exhibit fecal marking behavior as a form of intraspecific communication to define territory boundaries or attract potential mates.

In 2003, a study in Mexico City found that ringtails tended to defecate in similar areas in a seemingly nonrandom pattern, mimicking that of other carnivores that utilized excretions to mark territories.

The ringtail is commonly found in rocky desert habitats, where it nests in the hollows of trees or abandoned wooden structures.

[1] Fossils assigned to B. astutus dating back to the early Pliocene epoch have been found as far north as Washington.

[14] Small vertebrates such as passerine birds, rats, mice, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, lizards, frogs, and toads are the most important foods during winters.

Insects and small mammals such as rabbits, mice, rats and ground squirrels are some examples of the ringtail's carnivorous tendencies.

The ringtail also enjoys juniper, hack and black berries, persimmon, prickly pear, and fruit in general.

The large amount of ironwood seeds and leaves demonstrated that these fleshy fruits were an obvious favorite of the ringtail.

[22] Foxes, coyotes, raccoons, bobcats, hawks, and owls opportunistically prey upon ringtails of all ages, though predominantly on younger, more vulnerable specimens.

[citation needed] The ringtail's success in deterring potential predators is largely attributed to its ability to excrete musk when startled or threatened.