Raccoon | Facts & Information

The original habitats of the raccoon (Mellivora capensis) are the mixed and deciduous forests of North America but due to their ability to adapt they have expanded into mountainous areas, marshes and even urban areas.

Two of the raccoon's most distinctive features are its dexterous front paws and the facial mask that underlies several North American myths.

Raccoon Feed

Raccoon is a medium – sized animal with a body length of 40-70 cm and a body weight of 3.5-9 kg.

The raccoon is usually a nocturnal animal and is omnivorous , with a diet composed of approximately 40% invertebrates , 33% plant food, and 27% vertebrates.

Although raccoons are usually nocturnal animals, they also go out during the day to take advantage of available food sources. The food consists of 40% invertebrates, 33% plants and 27% vertebrates. Because the diet of raccoons is so diverse it is believed that they can also be omnivorous.

Mainly in spring and summer raccoons eat insects, worms and other animals. At the end of summer they prefer fruits, acorns and nuts. They also eat larger birds and animals, preferring smaller ones because they are easier to catch.

In the northern parts raccoons hibernate throughout the winter, reducing their activity greatly, as long as it is snow, the search for food is very difficult.

Appearance Raccoon

From head to hind part raccoons measure between 40 and 70 cm, without bushy tail which also has between 20 and 40 cm.

The body weight of an adult varies depending on the habitat. This can be between 2 and 14 kg. It is usually between 3.5 and 9 kg.

The smallest specimens are found in southern Florida, males weigh 15 to 20% more than females.

At the beginning of winter a raccoon can weigh twice as much as in spring due to its fat deposit.

It is among the mammals with the greatest variation in body weight, with the largest wild raccoon weighing 28.4 kg.

One of the characteristic parts of raccoons, after which they are easily recognized, are the spots around the eyes in contrast to the lighter fur. These spots resemble a bandit mask, for which they make a caricature and pranks on their account. Rounded ears are also dressed a white fur coat.

Raccoons with very dark fur can be found in Germany. Thick fur covers almost 90% of the surface defending it from bad weather. Raccoons, whose method of locomotion is known to be flatfoot (walking all over the sole of the foot), can only sit on their hind paws, examining objects with their front paws.

Raccoons have short legs compared to their bodies and cannot run long distances or jump much. Their maximum speed over short distances is 16-24 km/h. In the water they can stay up to several hours and swim at 5 km/h.

They amaze by climbing trees by their ability to be heavy and fat compared to short paws. Raccoons have two ways of lowering their body temperature, they can blunder and sweat at the same time.

The nearly 10cm long and powerful penis provides biologists with information about reproductive capabilities. Seven of the 13 identified voice calls are used by females and Cubs, with one of the calls being found in Cubs.

Several studies have been done to determine the mental abilities of raccoons. Most were based on tactical sense. They succeeded in 11 of the 13 experiments.

Procyon cancrivorus cancrivorus

Procyon cancrivorus aequatorialis

Procyon cancrivorus nigripes

Procyon cancrivorus panamensis

Eastern raccoon-P. L. lotor

Key cow raccoon-P. l. auspicatus

Florida raccoon – P. L. elucus

Snake River Valley raccoon-P. l. excelsus

Texas raccoon – P. L. fuscipes

Baja California raccoon – P. L. grinnelli

Mexican plateau raccoon - P. l. Hernandez

Upper Mississippi Valley raccoon-P. L. hirtus

Torch Key raccoon-P. L. incautus

Matecumbe Key raccoon – P. l. inesperatus

Ten Thousand Islands raccoon - P. L. marinus

Bahaman raccoon – P. L. maynardi

Mississippi Delta raccoon-P. L. megalodous

California raccoon-P. l. psora

Isthmian raccoon-P. l. pumilus

Procyon pygmaeus

Raccoon Behavior

Raccoons are noted for their intelligence. Studies show that they remember solutions to different problems even after 3 years.

Although raccoons were thought to be solitary, there is now evidence that they socialize by sharing territory with other raccoons of the opposite sex. The males gather in groups of 4 during the mating season defending themselves against potential enemies.

The range of raccoons is 3 hectares in urban areas and 50 square km in rural areas. After a gestation period of 65 days, 2 to 5 Cubs are born in the spring, which are raised by the female until late autumn.

Although raccoons live in captivity for 20 years, in the wild their lifespan is 18 to 31 years. Hunting and traffic accidents are the main causes of raccoon death.

In the first decades after the discovery of raccoons by members of the expedition of Christopher Columbus, who was the first person to leave a written record of this animal, the raccoon was categorized as a dog, pisca, Badger or even bear.

Based on fossil evidence from France and Germany, the raccoon is said to have lived in Europe 25 million years ago.

Raccoon Breeding

Raccoons usually mate from late January to mid-March. During the mating season, the males increase their search area to find the females they are courting for 3-4 days. There are several nocturnal encounters between male and female, with foreplay lasting over an hour each time.

The weakest males also have a chance to mate when the stronger males cannot mate with all the free females. About a third of females mate with more than one male. If a female loses her young or does not become pregnant, she can mate with another male in 40-80 days.

After 60-70 days, 2 to 5 Cubs are born. Chicken numbers vary by area: 2.5 in Alabama and 4.8 in North Dakota. Males do not engage in raising offspring. Puppies at birth are blind and deaf, but their black mask around the eyes is visible.

The weight of the chicks is 60 – 75g, and their length is about 10 cm. How to reach approximately 1 kg of weight the chicks begin to explore the surroundings, and after 6-9 weeks they begin to find out the taste of cold food.

While females stay close to their mothers, males go to more northern areas and travel distances up to 20 km. However, the mother shares her burrow with the Cubs during the first Winter.

The life expectancy of raccoons is 12 to 16 years.