They prefer rough, rocky areas with caves, crevices and broken ledges in which to den. Hollows in trees may also be used for den sites. The young are born in May or June. They are blind at birth and are covered with downy white fur. The young begin foraging with the adults at two months, and are weaned at four months.
Ringtails are omnivorous.
They feed on a wide variety of fruits, berries, insects, lizards, frogs, birds and rodents. In turn, larger predators prey upon ringtails, particularly the great horned owl, coyote and bobcat. Except when with young, ringtails are solitary. They are shy and nocturnal, so are seen by relatively few people. The ringtail is listed as a furbearer in Arizona but is not harvested in large numbers as the fur is not highly valued.