CreatureData

Cacomistle

Bassariscus sumichrasti (Saussure, 1860)

LCLeast Concernmammals

The cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti) is a species in the family Procyonidae, order Carnivora. Recorded adults weigh 900 g to 906 g and live up to 23.4 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti)
Photo: Autosafari at English Wikipedia · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the cacomistle

Weight
900 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
23.4 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Frugivoresrc for Diet
Longest recorded lifespan
24 years
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Gestation
64.7 dayssrc for Gestation
Young per litter or clutch
2src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
9.86 months – 18.8 monthssrc for Age at maturity
Active
At night (nocturnal)src for Active
Lifestyle
Arborealsrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the cacomistle live?

Not recorded

What is the cacomistle?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The cacomistle (; Bassariscus sumichrasti), also spelled cacomixtle, is a primarily nocturnal, arboreal, omnivorous member of the carnivoran family Procyonidae (coatis, kinkajous and raccoons). Depending on the location, its preferred habitats are humid and tropical evergreen jungle and montane cloud forests; seasonally, it may venture into drier, deciduous forests.

Although its total population is listed as being of "least concern" (i.e., stable), the cacomistle is still a highly cryptic, secretive animal, and generally an uncommon sight throughout much of its range (from southern México to western Panamá); this fact is especially true in Costa Rica, where it inhabits only a very small area. Additionally, the species is completely dependent on trees and dense vegetation for habitat, making it particularly susceptible to deforestation.

The name cacomistle comes from the Nahuatl language (tlahcomiztli) and means "half-cat" or "half-puma"; the same name is also given, by some, to the North American Bassariscus astutus, more commonly known as the ringtail (or, semi-inaccurately, ringtail 'cat'). This "sister species" of the cacomistle inhabits a much more northerly and less tropical range, from arid Northern Mexico into the Southwestern United States.

From the Wikipedia article “Cacomistle” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cacomistle&oldid=1357141393), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the cacomistle endangered?

The cacomistle is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the cacomistle classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classMammalia
  4. orderCarnivora
  5. familyProcyonidae
  6. genusBassariscus
  7. SpeciesBassariscus sumichrasti (Saussure, 1860)

Synonyms Bassaris monticola, Bassaris sumichrasti, Jentinkia sumichrasti campechensis

Other names and names in other languages (32)
  • Central American cacomistleEnglish
  • Central American cacomistleEnglish
  • Central American ringtailEnglish
  • أسيد الجبArabic
  • fret malýCzech
  • Mittelamerikanisches KatzenfrettGerman
  • OstocheSpanish
  • BabisuriSpanish
  • BasárideSpanish
  • Cacomikstle tropicalSpanish
  • Cacomixtle tropicalSpanish
  • GuayanocheSpanish
  • Mico de NocheSpanish
  • Mico RayadoSpanish
  • meksikonkakomistiFinnish
  • Bassarai ruséFrench
  • Bassaris d'Amérique centraleFrench
  • קקומיסטוHebrew
  • Közép-amerikai macskanyércHungarian
  • Bassarisco del CentroamericaItalian
  • クロアシカコミスルJapanese
  • 카코미슬고양이Korean
  • KakomistlNorwegian Bokmål
  • Mellomamerikansk KakomistlNorwegian Bokmål
  • Midden-Amerikaanse KatfretDutch
  • szopik dżunglowyPolish
  • Kotofretka środkowoamerykańskaPolish
  • cacomixtle-do-sulPortuguese
  • Центральноамериканский какомицлиRussian
  • centralamerikansk kattfrettSwedish
  • Orta Amerika KakomisiTurkish
  • 中美蓬尾浣熊Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the cacomistle

Other species in the same genus Bassariscus.

LC, Least Concern
Ringtail (Bassariscus astutus)

Ringtail

Bassariscus astutus

Procyonidae

CompareCacomistle vs Ringtail

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the cacomistle?

An adult cacomistle weighs 900 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the cacomistle endangered?

The cacomistle is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

How long does the cacomistle live?

The cacomistle has a recorded lifespan of 23.4 years.

How long is the cacomistle pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 64.7 days.

What kind of animal is the cacomistle?

The cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti) belongs to the family Procyonidae in the order Carnivora.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/cacomistle

MLA

“Cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/cacomistle.

BibTeX
@misc{cacomistle_2026,
  title = {Cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/cacomistle},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}