During Audubon's trip, the ring-tailed bassarius was prevalent on Texas prairie land, along water courses with trees, especially mesquite groves in western Texas. Texans referred to this creature as a ring-tailed raccoon and many were kept as pets.

According to his notes: "the general features of the State(s) of Texas, as it will be seen by the foregoing, do not indicate a country where many tree-climbing animals could be foud and this beautiful species is by no means common. It is a lively, playful and nimble creature, leaping about on the trees."

The bassarius lived in holes in trees, choosing a hole on a leaning tree so they could be protected from the rain. The creature was very attached to his tree, and would bask in the sun on the upper branches, running to his hole when something alarmed him.