Different Kinds of Raccoons

Raccoons are mammals that live in marshes, prairies, forests and urban areas. Because they're highly adaptable, raccoons can find food in different environments such as water, where their quick reflexes allow them to grab frogs and crayfish. Raccoons are omnivores, which means they will eat anything, including fruits and plants. There are several kinds of raccoons, with differences in physical appearance and natural habitats.

  1. Common Raccoon

    • The common raccoon (Procyon lotor) lives in the United States and Canada, and is easily identified by a black mask around its eyes and a black striped tail. The common raccoon has short round ears, black eyes, grows up to 3 feet in length and weighs about 30 pounds as an adult. Preferred diet includes fruits, vegetables, worms, birds and mice. The common raccoon is nocturnal, and usually lives in dens made inside trees, chimneys and attics.

    Crab Eating Raccoon

    • The crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) lives in the jungles and marshes of central and South America. It's recognizable by brown and gray short fur that resembles a salt-and-pepper beard. Cra- eating raccoons grow to a length between 18 and 35 inches with a tail length of 8 to 22 inches. Their weight varies between 5 and 26 pounds, and they can live up to 14 years. Their diet includes fish, crabs and aquatic insects.

    Tres Marias Raccoon

    • The Tres Marias raccoon (Procyon insularis) is one of the rarest and least-known raccoons. It lives on Maria Madre island, one of the three islands of Tres Marias, which also includes Maria Magdalena and Maria Cleofas, 60 miles off the coast of Nayarit, Mexico. Researchers believe there are only 250 Tres Marias raccoons in existence on Maria Madre island. Facial features are similar to that of the common raccoon, but the Tres Marias raccoon has a pale brown body with a gray underside and a golden hue to its tail. The raccoon's diet consists of fish, nuts, arthropods and seeds. The Mexican government classifies the Tres Marias raccoon as a threatened species.

    Guadeloupe Raccoon

    • The Guadeloupe raccoon (Procyon minor) is an endangered mammal species found exclusively on the French-controlled island of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles. This raccoon is smaller than the common raccoon, and has a dark gray body with a length between 16 and 23 inches, and a tail length between 8 and 16 inches. It lives mainly in the rainforest where it is often hunted by humans for food. The Guadeloupe raccoon feeds on crayfish, frogs, acorns and berries.