Spunky Ringtail takes ride of his life
HOUSTON (FOX26) - The Houston SPCA Wildlife Center of Texas reported today the admission of a Ringtail, the first-ever of the species to come under their car in the organizations 10-year history.
Literally hanging on for dear life, the little one traveled under an RV for the 5 hour drive from Bandera to Beaumont.
Thankfully the people who found him knew what to do and the li 7 week old Ringtail made it to the Wildlife Center where it was treated for dehydration, and is now fast on the road to recovery.
Sharon Schmalz, Executive Director of the Wildlife Center, tells us that he's eating well. They're giving him formula to simulate mother's milk but he's lapping it up and not needing to nurse from a bottle, and he's eating solid food as well.
Ringtails are a mammal of the raccoon family and native to Texas but not the area around Houston, Typically they are seen in West and Central Texas. They are nocturnal animals that possess superb sight and hearing to help them navigate in the dark. Ringtails typically weigh around 3-4 pounds when they are full grown and are often mistaken for foxes due to their tawny fur, pointed muzzle, bushy tail and large pointed ears.They are omnivores and eat insects, fruit and small rodents. Schmaltz says ,"They are excellent mousers". Ringtails have a shy disposition and are timid around humans. As adults, ringtails lead solitary lives, generally coming together only to mate.
When it has a clean bill of health this ringtail will be returned to the area he came from and set free back into the wild.
You can visit the www.wildlifecenteroftexas.org for information on what to do if you find an injured or orphaned animal.
The Houston SPCA Wildlife Center of Texas is one of the largest wildlife rehabilitation centers in the nation. This unique facility cares for over 10,000 wild animals each year. The mission to to care for all injured, orphaned, ill and oiled native wildlife through rehabilitation, public education and oiled wildlife response.