From mammals to insects, all different kinds of animals have striped tails. The stripes act as camouflage to help animals blend into their surroundings.
They also help them blend into each other, like in the case of a herd of zebras. In this article, we’ll take a look at 20 animals with striped tails.
Follow along as we look at these various animals with striped tails from around the world.
20 Animals With Striped Tails
From mammals to insects and everything in between, we have put together a list of 20 animals with striped tails.
1. Raccoon
Raccoons are medium-sized mammals that have distinctive features. They are a common sight in North America, especially around dumpsters and garbage.
Their most distinguishing feature is their face mask. Raccoons are also recognizable by their distinctive black-and-gray striped tails.
2. Ring-tailed Lemur
Found only on the island of Madagascar, these medium-sized primates are easily recognized by their long, black-and-white-striped tails. They live in large social groups of 30 or more individuals.
3. Ring-tailed Cat
The ring-tailed cat is native to North America and can be found in a variety of habitats, from woodlands to deserts. It is a member of the raccoon family.
Ring-tailed cats are small, with a body length of only about 13 inches, and they have long, black-and-white-striped tails that are about as long as their bodies.
4. Cacomistle
The cacomistle is a small, nocturnal mammal in the raccoon family. It is found in small pockets in Central America and is closely related to ring-tailed cats and coati.
Cacomistles are brown or gray with a black mask around their eyes and a long, black-and-white striped tail. They are solitary animals and spend most of their time in trees.
5. Ring-tailed Coati
Native to South and Central America, the coati is a close relative of the raccoon. They have a long, flexible snout, and their tails are ringed with alternating bands of light and dark fur.
Coati are omnivorous, eating both plants and animals. They are also diurnal animals, meaning they are active during the day.
6. Skunk
Skunks are nocturnal animals that are known for their strong smell. They have a long, furry tail with black and white stripes. Skunks are found in North and South America.
7. Tiger
There are many animals that have striped tails, but the tiger is perhaps the most iconic. No other animal is as well-known for its stripes, except maybe the zebra.
The tiger’s stripes are thought to help it blend in with the tall grasses of its native habitat, making it more difficult for prey to spot the big cat.
8. Zebra
Zebras are up there, with tigers being the top animal you think of when it comes to having stripes. These iconic creatures live in Africa.
Zebra stripes are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they also serve a purpose. The stripes help to camouflage an individual zebra into the herd and make it difficult for predators to spot.
9. Striped-Tail Scorpion
The striped-tailed scorpion is found in deserts and arid regions around North America. It’s also known as the devil scorpion because of its hellish sting.
This scorpion’s long tail carries a potent venom it uses to disable prey and protect itself from predators. The venom of the scorpion is not deadly to humans, but it can be painful if you are stung by one.
10. Red Panda
The red panda is native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. They are typically reddish-brown in color with white markings on their face and their tail colored with rings.
11. Garter Snake
Garter snakes are one of the most common types of snakes in North America. They get their name from the fact that they often have stripes running down their backs and to their tail that looks like garter belts.
12. Skink
Skinks are small, carnivorous lizards found in many parts of the world. Some species of skinks look like snakes, and they only have 2 legs front legs. Their tail has stripes down the length of it.
13. Striped Bass
Striped bass can grow to be quite large, with some reaching lengths of over 4 feet! They can weigh up to 30 pounds.
They get their name from the horizontal stripes that run along their body from behind their head to their tail.
14. Cooper’s Hawk
Cooper’s Hawks are a species of hawk that is known for their striped tails. These hawks are native to North America and can be found in wooded areas.
Cooper’s Hawks are medium-sized hawks and predators that will hunt small mammals but mostly other birds.
15. Iguana
The iguana is a lizard with a long, striped tail. It is found in tropical regions of Central and South America, but also in southern Florida in the U.S.
Iguanas are classified as omnivorous, eating mostly flowers, fruits, and plant material but sometimes small animals.
16. Gray Fox
The gray fox is a small to medium-sized canid that is native to North America. Their coat is mostly gray, but it can also be reddish-brown or tan.
The gray fox’s tail is tipped with black and has a black stripe running down the middle. They were once heavily hunted for their fur and tails.
17. Domestic Tabby Cat
One of the most common kinds of domesticated house cats is the tabby. Tabbies come in a variety of colors and patterns, but they all have one thing in common: stripes on their backs and tails.
18. Gila Monster
This venomous lizard is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Gila monsters are easily recognizable by their bright colors and patterns. They have thick striped tails.
19. Ocelot
The ocelot is a medium-sized cat that is found in the wild in Central and South America. Their coat is covered in spots, and they have stripes on their tail, which helps them to blend in with their surroundings.
20. Whiptail Lizard
The whiptail lizard is a species of lizard that is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. These lizards are characterized by their long, slender bodies with stripes from their neck to their tails.
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