Instructions
Check to see if the raccoon's eyes and ears have opened, and if its teeth have erupted. The eyes and ears open at three weeks and the teeth emerge around four weeks.
Check the fur growth and patterning of the baby raccoon. During the first week of life, raccoons will have only light patches of fur on their backs and sides (not the stomach), and the characteristic raccoon "mask" will be only barely visible. During the second week, the fur will thicken and the mask will become clear. Around the third week, the belly will grow fur. After the third week, the coat will be fully grown in.
Weigh the raccoon. After the fourth week, weight is the only reliable means for aging a baby raccoon. The weight ranges in grams by week are:
1 week = 60 to 140 grams
2 weeks = 190 to 225 grams
3 weeks = 320 to 400 grams
4 weeks = 450 to 550 grams
5 weeks = 600 to 700 grams
6 weeks = 750 to 820 grams
7 weeks = 900 to 1,000 grams
8 to 10 weeks = 1,000 to 1,450 grams
How Do You Identify the Age of a Baby Raccoon?
Baby raccoons grow rapidly. The time span from birth to young adulthood lasts only 16 weeks. Because of the abbreviated length of development, it can be difficult to precisely age a baby raccoon, particularly after the fourth week when fur has grown in, eyes have opened and teeth have developed.