Characteristics of Raccoons

Raccoons live nearly everywhere in North America. They are hardy animals, not easily preyed upon and capable of surviving in the worst conditions. Their greatest danger is humans. They have a reputation for trickery, troublemaking and trash can dumping, but many people are still charmed by their wide-awake, black-masked faces. Although raccoons are fun to watch, it is best to leave them in the wild.

  1. Facial Features

    • A black face mask is the most well-known feature of the raccoon. All raccoons have a circle of black fur surrounding each eye. The eyes are large and dark. The fur directly around the mask and on the tips of their ears is lighter, fading to a dusty brown around the neck and ears. Raccoons have long whiskers on their nose, which is also light in color.

    Body

    • Raccoons have dark brown bodies. The bottle brush tail sports four to 10 black rings around it. Full-grown raccoons range from 25-35 inches long, with the tail making up 40-50% of the actual length. They weigh anywhere from four to 20 pounds; males generally weigh 20% more than females. The raccoon's hands are similar to a human's, with long, slender fingers. They are capable of doing nearly anything a human hand can, such as picking up food and grabbing thin tree branches.

    Behavior

    • Raccoons are bold, curious animals, moving about to forage mostly at night. They are not territorial and are quite happy to share their area with other raccoons, unless resources are limited. Raccoons are not social animals, interacting only at mating season. Mothers, however, care for their cubs for several months before the young make their own dens. Males have nothing to do with the family after mating.

      Raccoons are very intelligent and excellent at solving puzzles, especially when food is involved. They are particularly infamous for stealing bait off traps.

    Diet

    • While the raccoon's diet includes nearly anything, in the wild, it consists mostly of available fruits, nuts and seeds. Near water, a raccoon will catch and eat crayfish, frogs and small fish. They also eat insects, eggs and small rodents. Farmers often have trouble with raccoons as harvest time approaches. Raccoons in urban areas are often conditioned to prefer household waste, becoming a serious nuisance as they dump trash cans and scatter the contents, searching for food scraps.

    Interaction With Humans

    • Because they are intelligent, curious animals, raccoons often interact with humans. Many people have drawn raccoons by leaving out food, either intentionally or by accident. Young raccoons can make friendly, affectionate pets, but as they grow older, they can become dangerous and cause serious damage in a home.