[kak-uh-mis-uh
l] 
| 1. | Also, cac⋅o⋅mix⋅le [kak-uh-mis-uhl, -mik-suhl] . Also called bassarisk, ringtail, coon cat. a carnivorous animal, Bassariscus astutus, of Mexico and the southwestern U.S., related to the raccoon but smaller, with a sharper snout and longer tail. |
| 2. | civet cat. |
| cac·o·mis·tle (kāk'ə-mĭs'əl) n. A small carnivorous raccoonlike mammal (Bassariscus sumichrasti) of Central America, having a black-banded tail. [American Spanish cacomiztle, from Nahuatl tlacomiztli : tlaco, half, part + miztli, mountain lion.] |
cacomistle
(Bassariscus), either of two species of large-eyed, long-tailed carnivores related to the raccoon (family Procyonidae). Cacomistles are grayish brown with lighter underparts and white patches over their eyes. The total length is about 60-100 cm (24-40 inches), about half of which is the bushy, black-and-white-ringed tail. The animals weigh about 1 kg (2.2 pounds) and have small faces with long ears and pointed snouts. They are arboreal and nocturnal and feed on a variety of small animals, fruit, and vegetation. The gestation period is about 51-54 days, and litters contain from one to five (usually three or four) young
Learn more about cacomistle with a free trial on Britannica.com.