When we first saw a ringtail crossing our driveway by tiptoeing precariously across the top of the gate we were stunned. Why not just walk across on the ground? It’s about ten times faster and a hundred times easier.
It seemed such a strange thing to do that we assumed we were seeing a single acrobatic ringtail with a head for heights and a love of circus tricks.
But in the years since, we’ve probably seen a dozen or more different individuals crossing the gate this way – we’ve even seen mamas teaching their offspring how to do it – and we’ve concluded that it’s some kind of ringtail protocol. This is how it’s done. End of story.
We have already published a video about ringtails crossing the gate, but it was about 3.5 years ago, so we decided that it was time to publish another one. Watching these clever little critters scamper/tiptoe/wobble their way across the pointy tops of the gate bars amuses us every time we see it.
Watch till the end. There’s a raccoon-shaped surprise.
#texasbackyardwildlife
2 Comments
Thank you for sharing these videos and thank you for preserving this magical area in the middle of humanity. I have lived in the Dripping Springs area for over 40 years. The wildlife is getting pushed out by the growth here. Mother Nature is on the run.
We see the same thing here in South Austin, Manuel. Bird, mammals, reptiles, and even bugs are all in decline (except, maybe, for raccoons – they’re so clever and adaptable). There is less and less open space and there are more and more people and cars. Mother Nature is indeed on the run. We should all do what we can to help wildlife survive.