Northern Raccoon
Procyon Lotor

These misunderstood mammals are one of the most interesting and widely dispersed animals in the United States. Northern Raccoons, more commonly known as just raccoons, can be found as south as Panama and as north as the Canadian border. They are also located in some parts of Europe and Asia. Northern Raccoons are able to adapt to almost any environment, even though they originally lived in lowland, deciduous mixed forests. They live where it is easiest to get food, which sometimes can be the urban areas where we live.

These nocturnal mammals are the largest animal in their phylum. On average they are between 16 to 28 inches long, not including their bushy tail which could add another 8 to 16 inches to its length. Yet, this animal stands no taller than 12 inches. It usually weighs between 8 to 20 lbs. depending on the available food. Their fur is 90% dense under fur that insulates heat to keep them warm in the winter. This fur is mostly dark grey to black with a distinct facial mask. The Northern Raccoon has large black circles around its eyes and white fur that surrounds most of the rest of its face. They have poor eye-sight, so these black circles help to reduce glare so they can see better at night. Raccoons' fluffy tails are also circled with light and dark rings much like a lemur's tail. Another interesting fact about the raccoon is their dexterous front paws. They have five fingers on each paw which allows them to have a very sensitive sense of touch, just like humans.

            Northern Raccoons will eat just about anything they can find. They prefer to eat fruits, acorns and walnuts. Yet, if those are not available, they will eat insects, worms and other invertebrates or even birds, small mammals, fish, and amphibians. Ultimately, Northern Raccoons prefer to eat things that are easy to catch. That is usually the reason why they choose to live so close to humans because we throw away plenty of food for them to eat.

            Northern Raccoons are known to be very intelligent. They can remember how to solve problems for up to three years later. These animals have very gender specific behaviors. Female and male raccoons will stay in different packs till matting season when a male will come to a female pack and choose a female to mate with. Mating season is between the months of January and March, sometimes later in more southern regions. After 60 to 65 days of being pregnant, the female raccoon will lay a litter of 2 to 5 "kits." She will stay with her kits till they are strong enough to defend themselves. Male raccoons will sometimes become aggressive with newborn kits and try to eat them. The life expectancy of a raccoon in the wild is only 1 to 3 years. In captivity, they can live up to 20 years. In the wild, raccoons are hunted by bobcats, coyotes and great horned owls. Yet, 90% of adult raccoon deaths are caused by vehicle casualties and extensive hunting.

            A common concern people seem to have with Northern Raccoons is rabies. Raccoons can have rabies which is a lethal disease that is carried in the saliva and transmitted by bites. Symptoms usually are sickly appearance, impaired mobility, abnormal vocalization and aggression. This disease can be transmitted to humans so it is best to stay away from any animal showing odd behavior and report it to the proper authorizes. Yet, it is a common misconception that if you see a North Raccoon during the day they have rabies. Though these animals are nocturnal, they will sometimes have to look for food or a new shelter during the day to survive. These animals are very interesting creatures and being that they usually live pretty close to our homes, we should make an effort to understand them and respect them.

Written by Cathy Taveras