Throughout the rainforests, mountaintops, and deserts of South and Central America, Mexico, and the Southern United States roam a peculiar mesocarnivore that is losing habitat quickly.  Despite the adaptability and ecological importance of this New World mammal, land clearing, and forest fragmentation are squeezing some of their populations toward extinction.  These relatives of the raccoon and ringtail hold an important niche in their habitats yet remain misunderstood and unprotected in most of their range.