A camera-trap survey in the Sawtooth National Forest has provided the strongest evidence yet that ringtails, a nocturnal member of the raccoon family, have extended their range northward into Southern Idaho and may be establishing a sustained presence in the state.
Researchers led by Peter Rebholz, then a University of Idaho graduate student, and David Ausband, an assistant professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, deployed 49 baited camera traps across the Rock Creek canyon system near Twin Falls between February and May 2023. Over the three-month survey period, the cameras captured nine independent detections of ringtails across six separate locations, with all activity occurring at night.
The findings represent a significant expansion of the known range for the species in Idaho. Wildlife managers and members of the public had reported more than 20 years of incidental ringtail sightings in the region prior to this study, but earlier camera surveys in the same area had failed to detect the animals. The discovery of nine separate detections suggests the population has grown enough to become reliably documentable through systematic sampling.
Strong Evidence of Sustained Presence
One particularly notable observation came when two ringtails were photographed more than three miles apart within a few hours of each other, indicating the animals are actively moving through and utilizing the canyon habitat across a wider territory than previously documented.
“Finding ringtails at six locations gives us the strongest evidence yet that the species has expanded into Southern Idaho and may have a lasting presence here,” Ausband told researchers during the study. The research team published their findings in April 2023 in the journal Ecology and Evolution, under the title “Evidence of Ringtail Expansion into Idaho, USA.”, as first reported by the Post Register
Idaho’s state conservation ranking currently classifies ringtails as nonbreeding residents that appear in the state only accidentally or occasionally. The new data suggests that classification may need revision as the species appears to be establishing itself in suitable habitats within the state’s southern region.
Habitat and Climate Factors
The study suggests that juniper woodlands may play a particularly important role in supporting ringtails along the northern edge of their historical range. Ringtails traditionally inhabit the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where they occupy rocky canyons and semi-arid scrublands. The expansion northward into Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest indicates the animals are finding adequate food, shelter, and suitable environmental conditions in streamside canyon habitats that feature similar vegetation patterns.
Climate trends and habitat availability likely contribute to the species’ northward movement. As riparian areas and juniper-dominated ecosystems provide the right combination of den sites and prey—including insects, rodents, and other small animals—ringtails have the resources necessary to establish territories and breed successfully in regions where they were previously absent or extremely rare.
What Comes Next
The publication of this research may prompt wildlife managers to adjust how ringtails are monitored and classified within Idaho’s species inventory. Continued camera surveys and citizen reporting could help researchers track whether the population continues to expand northward or stabilizes at current levels. Understanding ringtail ecology and habitat preferences in Idaho will inform future management decisions and help the state maintain accurate records of wildlife distribution across its diverse ecosystems.
University of Idaho researchers and state wildlife officials are likely to benefit from expanded public awareness of ringtails in the region. Citizens who encounter these nocturnal animals or capture images on their own camera traps are encouraged to report sightings to state wildlife authorities, providing additional data points that will refine understanding of the species’ presence and movement patterns throughout Southern Idaho.