Do you ever find yourself captivated by animals with big, bushy tails? These furry creatures are not only charming to look at, but they also play an important role in their ecosystems. From foxes to raccoons, many animals with bushy tails are worth learning about.
Bushy Tailed Mongoose
The Bushy Tailed Mongoose has a wide, bushy tail that helps it maintain balance as it moves through the trees. Its fur is yellowish-brown to greyish, with a rounded head and short ears. The underfur is dense, and the guard hairs are 5-45 mm long.
This mongoose is a skilled climber with powerful legs and sharp claws to move nimbly through the trees. It is also an omnivore, feeding on various foods, including insects, small mammals, and fruit.
Despite its name, the Bushy Tailed Mongoose is not closely related to the true mongoose. Instead, it belongs to a separate genus called Bdeogale.
Red Fox
The red fox is a nocturnal animal known for its bushy tail. These foxes have large pointed ears, slender legs, and long muzzles. Despite their name, these foxes can also be black or dark silver.
Red foxes use their tails to help them balance and cover themselves when warm. They are generally about 90-105 cm (36-42 inches) long, with about 35-40 cm (14-16 inches) of this being the tail. They stand about 40 cm at the shoulders and weigh about 5-7 kg (10-15 pounds).
Red foxes live worldwide in diverse habitats, including forests, grasslands, mountains, and deserts. They are omnivorous and will eat almost anything, including small mammals, birds, insects, and fruit. They are also known for their ability to adapt to different environments and can be found in urban and suburban areas.
Red foxes are heavily persecuted for fur, sport, and pest control, but at the same time, they have thrived alongside humans in many areas. Red foxes are also known for their vocalizations, which include barks, screams, and howls.
Red Squirrel
If you’re looking for an animal with a bushy tail, the Red Squirrel is one of the most recognizable. These small rodents are native to Eurasia and North America and can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, woodlands, and suburban areas.
One of the most noticeable characteristics of the Red Squirrel is its tail. The tail is bushy and dark red with hints of a white outline. It’s an important tool for balance, communication, and warmth. The tail helps the squirrel balance as it moves along tree branches and also acts as a rudder during jumps. When it’s cold outside, the squirrel can wrap its tail around its body to keep warm.
Another distinctive feature of the Red Squirrel is its eye ring. This is a thick, white circle around the rodent’s black eyes. The eye ring makes the eyes appear larger and helps the squirrel see better in low-light conditions.
Red Squirrels are small, measuring between 11-15 inches long, including their bushy tails and weighing as much as 6-7 ounces. They have pointed tufts of fur over their ears and a reddish-brown coat.
These squirrels are active during the day and are known for their acrobatic abilities. They can run along branches, jump between trees, and even hang upside down to reach food. Red Squirrels are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Their diet includes seeds, nuts, fruits, insects, small birds and eggs.
Striped Skunk
These creatures are known for their black fur, white stripes down their back, and bushy tails with a few white hairs at the end.
One thing to watch out for with skunks is their noxious spray. The glands that produce this spray are located underneath their tails, so if they feel threatened, they can release the spray as a defence mechanism. The spray smells like rotten eggs and can be quite potent, so it’s best to give these animals plenty of space.
Striped Skunks are stoutly-built, short-limbed animals with a small, conical head and a long, heavily furred tail. Adult males are 10% larger than females, with both sexes measuring between 52 and 77 cm in total body length and usually weighing 1.8-4.5 kg (4.0-9.9 lb), though some may weigh 5.5 kg (12 lb).
In general, Striped Skunks are found throughout North America, except for some areas in the far north. They prefer open habitats like fields, meadows, and suburban areas, where they can find food and shelter.
Tayra
Tayras are long, slender animals that belong to the weasel family. They have a build and appearance similar to a smaller, sleeker Wolverine. Tayras range from 56 to 71 cm long, not including a 37- to 46-cm-long bushy tail, and weigh 2.7 to 7.0 kg.
Tayras are omnivorous and can be found in the forests of the Americas. They are known for their curiosity and often move their heads in an undulating, snakelike fashion to determine scents or sights. When alarmed, tayras may snort, growl, and spit.
Tayras are excellent climbers and swimmers. They can climb trees and swim in rivers with ease. They are also known to be active during the day, making them diurnal animals.
One interesting fact about Tayras is that they have a diamond-shaped patch on their throat, a colour variation only observed in Costa Rica and Panama. Tayras are also known as tolomucos or tejons in Spanish.
Northern Tree Shrew
The Northern Tree Shrew, also known as Tupaia belangeri, is a small mammal native to Southeast Asia. It is known for its bushy tail, which is almost as long as its body. These animals have greyish-olive fur and are diurnal and territorial. They mark their spots using scent glands located in the abdomen and chin.
Northern Tree Shrews are arboreal creatures and are often found in trees. They are known for their excellent climbing and leaping abilities, which they use to navigate through the forest canopy. Their sharp claws and long tails help them maintain their balance as they move from tree to tree.
Northern Tree Shrews eat insects, fruits, and nuts. They have a high metabolism and need to eat frequently to maintain their energy levels. Northern Tree Shrews are also known to cache food in tree hollows and other hidden locations to save for later.
Northern Tree Shrews are social animals and live in small groups of up to six individuals. They communicate with each other using a variety of vocalizations, including chirps, squeaks, and trills. They are also known to groom each other, which helps to strengthen social bonds within the group.
Ring Tailed Cat
If you’re looking for a unique animal with a bushy tail, look no further than the Ring Tailed Cat. Despite its name, the Ring-Tailed Cat is not a cat. It is a member of the raccoon family and is also known as the Miner’s Cat.
The Ring Tailed Cat is found in the deserts of North America and is timid towards humans. They are mostly nocturnal and sleep most of the day in their dens. Both males and female Ring Tailed Cats establish a home range of up to 2.5 square miles.
One of the most distinctive features of the Ring-Tailed Cat is its bushy tail. The tail is nearly as long as the head and body, with alternating black and white rings. The colour of the mammal ranges from black to dark brown but is pale on the downside.
Ring Tailed Cats are solitary animals and, except during the mating season, live alone. They are skilled climbers and can be found in tree hollows and abandoned structures. They have sharp claws and teeth, which they use to catch their prey, including insects, small mammals, birds, and reptiles.
Red Panda
If you’re looking for an animal with a bushy tail, the Red Panda is a great place to start. This adorable mammal is native to Asia’s high forests and is known for its unique appearance and behaviours.
One of the most distinctive features of the Red Panda is its long, bushy tail. This tail is used for balance, as well as for warmth in the winter months. Red Pandas are primarily herbivores, and their diet consists mainly of bamboo. They are also known to eat fruit, nuts, and insects.
Red Pandas are solitary animals and spend most of their time in trees. They are nocturnal and are most active at night. When they are not sleeping, they can be found foraging for food or grooming themselves.
Despite their shared name, Red Pandas are unrelated to Giant Pandas. They are more closely related to raccoons and weasels. They are also known by other names, including the “Firefox” and the “Lesser Panda.”
Giant Anteater
If you’re looking for an animal with a truly impressive bushy tail, look no further than the giant anteater. These animals are the largest of all anteater species, growing up to 6 feet long and weighing 110 pounds for males and 104 pounds for females.
The giant anteater’s most distinctive feature is its long snout, which it uses to sniff out and lap up ants and termites. Their long tongues are sufficient to lap up the 35,000 ants and termites they swallow daily. They also have long fore claws that they use to break open termite mounds and ant nests.
Giant anteaters are covered in thick, bushy hair that makes them look even bigger than they already are. Their grey hair feels like straw and grows especially long on the tail (up to 16 inches or 40 centimetres), and it sports a stylish stripe of black that stretches from under the nose to the middle of the back.
Raccoon
Raccoons are nocturnal mammals found in North and South America. They are known for their distinctive black mask of fur around their eyes and their bushy ringed tails. The most common species of raccoon is the North American raccoon (Procyon lotor).
Raccoons eat fruits, nuts, insects, small animals, and even garbage. They have a reputation for being clever and resourceful and have been known to raid garbage cans and even break into homes in search of food.
In addition to their intelligence, raccoons are also known for their adaptability. They can live in various environments, including forests, urban areas, and even deserts. They are also excellent climbers and swimmers, allowing them to access food and shelter in various locations.
Despite their cute and cuddly appearance, raccoons can be dangerous if cornered or threatened. They have sharp claws and teeth and can carry diseases like rabies and leptospirosis. It’s important to give raccoons their space and avoid interacting with them, especially if they are exhibiting aggressive behaviour.