Bear and Raccoon

Raccoon Species History

The raccoon is a "small", bear-like animal with a highly arched back, flat feet, dense, soft brown and black fur, a long, bushy, light and dark "striped" tail, and a characteristic dark "mask" fur pattern on its face. Raccoons are typically from 2 to 3 feet long, 9 to 10 inches tall, and weigh between 10 and 30 pounds. Males are typically bigger than females, and individuals living in the north are typically larger than those who live in the south. The back feet of a raccoon are larger than the front feet. These stout rear feet bear most of the weight of the raccoon freeing up the more delicate front feet for climbing, digging and especially for exploring for and examining potential food sources. The dense sensory innervation of the front feet and the dexterity of the five front foot digits make them outstanding tools for exploring and evaluating the world (Goto & Kimura: 404).

The raccoon is a nocturnal animal and so relies on touch and scent as its primary sensory modalities. The raccoon's eye is rich in light sensitive (but color insensitive) rods and thus generates visual perception in the low light conditions of the night but with limited acuity or color perception. The flat feet, highly arched back, and unequal front to back weight distribution of the raccoon cause them to be somewhat slow and clumsy as runners. The broad flat feet, though, do allow them to swim very rapidly and strongly.

Habitat

Raccoons are found in a wide range of habitats but they especially favor forests, marshes, and meadows near ponds. They tend to avoid open terrain and need mature stands of trees especially for their nesting dens. Raccoons, though, are very adaptable to novel conditions and even to the presence of humans. They readily live in dumps, sewers, culverts, and even in the crawl spaces under buildings and mobile homes (Goldman & O'Brien: 282). Their nocturnal foraging habits, their ability to move about in furtive, secretive ways, and their wide range of food preferences allow them to readily co-exist with humans in both urban and suburban habitats. Raccoons typically live solitary lives within a loosely defined home range or territory. Groups of raccoons may form with females and their partially grown cubs or in winter resting dens. Raccoons rely on other animals to make their dens and will co-opt tree holes and ground burrows of a great variety of other species.

Diet

Raccoons will eat whatever food is available. They are consummate omnivores. When fruits, acorns, vegetables, or seeds are available, raccoons will consume them in large quantities. When small vertebrate and invertebrate prey items (like crayfish, insects, earthworms, frogs, fish, birds' eggs or rodents) are available then they, too, will be readily consumed. Crayfish are a particular favorite of the raccoon. This may help to explain the raccoon's preference for habitats near streams. The searching behaviors of a raccoon using its sensitive front paws to capture and evaluate food from a stream is often misidentified ...