Bassarisk Under a Porch

Bassarisks are my favorite animal, and this is as good a chance as any for me to get them featured in a LEGO set. A ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) rests amidst moss under a porch in the American Southwest. Fully articulated, when night falls, it will climb atop the railing before setting out to hunt. An excellent mouser, miners used its ancestors to kill rodents in mines, leading to the name "miner's cat."

This model uses 248 pieces, 80 of which go towards the animal. This was quite a challenging build to economize parts-wise since if the bassarisk were any bigger, I wouldn't have been able to make it within the part count. The back legs are made so that, just like the actual animal, the feet can rotate 180 degrees to grip going up and down, and the house wall and railings have plenty of studs on their sides for climbing poses.

Only two recolors will be needed for printed parts for the animal.

Plus, the little guy is cute.