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by Steven Otfinoski
 animalsanimals

by Steven Otfinoski
 Thanks to Larry Battson, Wildlife Educational Services, Inc., for his expert reading of
this manuscript.

Copyright 2011 Marshall Cavendish Corporation

Published by Marshall Cavendish Benchmark

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Otfinoski, Steven.
Raccoons / by Steven Otfinoski.
p. cm. (Animals animals)
Includes index.
Summary: Provides comprehensive information on the anatomy, special skills, habitats, and diet of
raccoonsProvided by publisher.
ISBN 978-1-60870-200-8
1. RaccoonJuvenile literature. I. Title.
QL737.C26O84 2011
599.7632dc22
2009022630

Photo research by Joan Meisel

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Editor: Joy Bean

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Printed in Malaysia (T)

135642
 Contents
1 Masked Mischief Maker 5

2 A Hearty Appetite 15

3 Cute and Cuddly Kits 21

4 Predators and Disease 27

5 Raccoons and People 33

Glossary 39

Find Out More 42

Index 44
4
 1
Masked
Mischief
Maker
A father and mother and their two children were
quietly watching television one evening in their home
in New York City when they heard animal noises com-
ing from the kitchen. The father went to investigate. He
found a raccoon eating out of their cats food bowl in
the kitchen. The raccoon scurried to the basement and
ran out the small cat entrance at the bottom of the
door. The father closed tight the metal door over the cat
entrance to prevent the raccoon from returning. Then
he went back to watching television with his family.
A short time later, the family again heard noises in
the kitchen. The father ran in and was surprised to
see the same raccoon devouring the cats food. When

Raccoons are able to use the toes on their paws to reach for things, grab
at things, and lift things.

5
 he chased the animal again, it lifted the metal door
with its forepaw and scooted out. I have to have a
certain amount of respect for them, the father later
told a news reporter. They [raccoons] have managed
to survive in this tough city like the rest of us.
Raccoons are among the craftiest of animals. They
can use the long toes of their forepaws like human fin-
gers to lift open a pet door, unscrew a jar, or remove the

Raccoons are easily

recognizable by the
black band of fur
surrounding their eyes.

6
closed lid on a garbage can. The black band of fur that
covers their eyes identifies them as clearly as the stripes
on the back of a skunk. Their face mask announces to
the world, I am a clever fellow who knows how to slip
into your house and steal your food, so watch out!
Some people think of raccoons as annoying pests. Yet
many people, such as the man in New York City, come
to admire them for their intelligence, their boldness,
and their playfulness. The raccoon is native to the
Western Hemisphere. It lives just about everywhere
but northern Canada, the mountains of the western
United States, and most Caribbean islands, where it
was killed off by hunters centuries ago. It has been
introduced successfully in parts of Europe and Did You Know . . .
Asia. There are just two species of raccoonsthe The raccoon is a relative of
northern raccoon and the crab-eating raccoon. the giant panda of China.
Another relative closer to
The raccoon is a fur-covered mammal that
home is the coatimundi, or
weighs between 16 and 20 pounds (7 and 9
hog-nosed coon.
kilograms) and stands about 12 inches (30
centimeters) tall at the shoulder. Female rac-
coons are a little smaller than male ones. The
other outstanding feature of the raccoon is its
long, bushy tail. The tail has between four
and ten black rings around it. The tail often

7
 makes up to half of a raccoons length. The raccoons
coat is mostly gray, but may have touches of yellow or
brown. It has two coats of fur. The inner coat is made
up of thick brown hairs that keep it warm in cold
weather. The outer coat has long black and white
guard hairs, that protect it from wind and rain, which
runs off the hairs easily.

This raccoon hangs on

a tree branch to rest.

8
 Raccoons are nocturnal animals, which means
they are active at night and sleep during the day.
Their shiny black eyes reflect every gleam of light and
allow them to see clearly in the dark as they hunt for
food. However, they see distant objects poorly and are
color-blind. Raccoons have a good sense of smell with
their pointed noses. They hear the slightest sound
with their 1.5-inch (3.8-cm) long ears. They have a
superb sense of touch in the toes of their forepaws.
Each paw, front and back, has five toes. At the end of
each toe is a curved, sharp claw. These claws allow
raccoons to climb trees with ease.

9
 Species Chart

u The northern, or common, raccoon is 30 to 38 inches (76 to 97

cm) in length, including its tail, and weighs between 12 and 25
pounds (5 and 11 kg). It is found from southern Canada to
Panama in Central America.

10
A Northern, or common, raccoon.

11
u The crab-eating raccoon is 16 to 20 inches (41 to 51 cm) in
length and weighs between 4.4 and 26.5 pounds (2 and 12 kg).
It has shorter hair and thinner underfur than the northern rac-
coon. It also has longer legs. It is found in the marshes and jun-
gle regions of Central and South America and on the island
republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The crab-eating raccoon is
named after its favorite food. It lives near waterways where it
can find crabs and other shellfish.

12
A crab-eating raccoon.

13
 2
A Hearty
Appetite
Raccoons living near humans in suburbs and cities
may have a taste for pet food and garbage, but in the
wild they will eat just about everything and anything.
Raccoons are omnivores, animals that eat other ani-
mals as well as plants. Both northern raccoons and
crab-eating raccoons love shellfish, not just crabs.
They also eat lobsters, crayfish, and, if they live near
seawater, clams and oysters. They also enjoy fish,
frogs, and tadpoles, which are the larva, or early
stage, of frogs and toads. Raccoons will eat land ani-
mals such as field mice, small snakes, snails, turtles,
and birds and their eggs. In spring and summer they
will also feast on acorns, seeds, nuts, berries, various

Raccoons eat a great number of things, including berries from trees and
bushes.

15
 fruits, and corn, as well as insects such as grasshop-
pers, crickets, and beetles. Some raccoons will even
eat carrion, the rotting meat of dead animals.
Raccoons are very smart hunters. In fact, when
they are hunting box turtles, they will look where
the sun hits leaves on the forest floor. Raccoons
know that in a sunny spot, there is usually a box
turtle hidden there. To get them to come out of their
shell, raccoons will carry the turtles in their mouths
to a puddle or creek and wait for them to put their
heads out underwater.

Some raccoons that live

near water are able to
catch fish for a meal.

16
 The scientific name for raccoon is Procyn lotor,
which in part is Latin for the washer. This comes
from a persistent belief among many people that rac-
coons wash their food before eating it. While it is true
that raccoons will often dunk their food in water,
most naturalists do not believe that raccoons are
deliberately washing it. So why do they do it? There
are a number of possible reasons. They may be get-
ting rid of bad-tasting oil on the skin of a frog or toad
they are about to eat. Or they may be moistening the
morsel because they lack effective salivary glands.
Or, if they are captive raccoons, they may be imi-
tating the fishing behavior of their cousins in the Did You Know . . .
wild. It is also possible that the presence of Raccoons will raid a
water enhances the sense of touch in the rac- beehive to get at the sweet
honeycomb inside. They
coons sensitive toes and makes eating more
have little fear of the angry
pleasurable.
bees, because their thick fur
Raccoons in Canada and in the northern protects them from the bees
regions of the United States eat more food in stingers.
the fall than at any other time of year. They
are storing up fat in their bodies to get them
through the coming winter, when there will
be less food to eat. Northern raccoons crawl
into their dens, usually hollow logs or trees,

17
A raccoon looks to be
washing its hands and
food in water before
eating.

and sleep for long periods during the winter. But

unlike some other mammals, such as bears and
skunks, they do not hibernate. When an animal
hibernates, it goes into a very deep sleep and its body
temperature and heart rate drop drastically. Raccoons
do not sleep so deeply and often wake up during the
winter months. They will even leave their dens on

18
mild winter days to hunt for food or simply bask in
the sun.
Raccoons are less solitary than some woodland
mammals. Adult males live alone, but younger males
and females will live in small, loose family groups.
Each individual or small group will have a home
range or territory of about 200 acres (0.8 square kilo-
meters). Adult males may have a territory of up to 2
square miles (5.2 square km). Within this territory,
they will make their dens and hunt for food. During
mating season, they will venture out of their territory
in search of a mate.

During the winter

months, some raccoons
may leave their dens
to lie in the sun on a
nice day.

19
 3
Cute and Cuddly
Kits
Most raccoons in northern regions will mate from
January to early March. For those living farther
south, mating may take place as late as June. If a
male cannot find a female in its territory, it will roam
outside it, traveling as far as 8 miles (13 km) in a sin-
gle night. Once the male finds a mate and is accepted
by her, the pair will live together in the same den for
about two weeks.
At the end of the mating period, the male usual-
ly leaves, never to return. He plays no part in child
rearing. The female gives birth to between one and
seven babies, called kits, nine weeks later. An aver-
age litter is three to five kits. The newborns are

A pair of raccoons will live together in a single den for a few weeks as
they mate.

21
 These raccoons were
just born and huddle
together to stay warm.

about 4 inches (10 cm) in length and weigh only 2

ounces (57 grams). They have no black mask across
their eyes and no rings on their tails. Those will
appear about ten days later. The kits ears and eyes
are sealed shut. They spend the first weeks of life
nursing on their mothers milk and sleeping. To keep
warm, they pile on top of one another, forming a big
heap. At night, while they sleep, their mother leaves
the den to hunt for food. She will never be far away,
however, in case a predator comes to eat her young.
She will defend them with her life if necessary.

22
When the kits are about three weeks old, their ears
and eyes open and their teeth start to grow in. By
eight weeks they are ready to follow their mother on
short hunting trips. They follow her in single file
across the woodland. She shows them which plants
are good to eat and how to catch a grasshopper in a
meadow or a tadpole in a pond. The kits appear to

Did You Know . . .

If two male raccoons
fight for the favors of a
female, the female does
not necessarily take the
stronger of the two as a
mate. She may decide she
likes the loser better. The
choice is up to her.

When young raccoons are old enough, their mother will take
them out of the den and teach them how to look for food.

23
These young raccoons,
while old enough to
leave their mothers
den, are learning that
climbing trees is not as
easy as it looks.

24
like playing almost as much as eating. They will
chase each other, play leapfrog, and wrestle.
By the time the kits are four months old, they are
maturing into young raccoons. As fall fades and win-
ter approaches, a few may set off to make dens of
their own. But most young raccoons will spend the
winter in their mothers den. By spring their mother is
expecting her next litter, and her young leave to make
their own dens. Some build their dens near their
mothers. In captivity, raccoons can live from ten to
twenty years. In the wild, they only live up to about
sixteen years. But only a few fortunate ones live that
long. Most have a life span of well under five years.
Life for a raccoon in the wild is full of dangers.

25
 4 Predators and
Disease
Raccoons are threatened by a number of predators in
nature. They include coyotes, foxes, wolves, bobcats,
and cougars. Predatory birds such as great horned
owls and hawks also attack and eat raccoons. Because
raccoons are active at night, they go unseen by some
predators who hunt by day.
The raccoon will fight a predator if cornered,
scratching with its claws and biting with its teeth. It is
a courageous fighter, but most of its predators are big-
ger and stronger. The raccoons best defense, in most
cases, is to flee. Usually slow and awkward on its feet,
it can run as fast as 15 miles (24 km) per hour for short

The fox is one of the raccoons greatest predators.

27
 periods. To escape an enemy, it will often climb a tree or
plunge into the nearest body of water.
Raccoons are expert tree climbers. They are also
excellent swimmers. Raccoons swim dog paddlestyle
across streams, rivers, and ponds. Most predators do
not like water and will give up the chase.
Disease is as great a threat to raccoons as preda-
tors. Raccoons are vulnerable to serious illnesses such
as roundworm, canine distemper, and rabies. Rabies

When a raccoon is
being chased by a
predator, it can climb a
tree in order to try to
get to safety.

28
is a fatal disease that attacks the central nervous sys-
tem of mammals, including humans. It is generally
spread by the bite of a rabid animal. If untreated,
rabies can result in death within days.
In recent years raccoons have contacted rabies
more often than any other animal in the United
States. In 2004 raccoons accounted for more than a
third of the 6,844 documented rabies cases. The other
cases were spread mostly among skunks, bats, and
foxes. There have been no documented human deaths
attributed to rabid raccoons. But in the northeastern
United States the number of domestic animals
including dogs, cats, and cattleexposed to raccoon
rabies has been on the rise.

A snarling raccoon
tries to scare away a
predator.

29
 In some states and in parts of Canada, authorities
treat raccoons with vaccines that prevent them from
getting rabies. One procedure involves trapping rac-
coons, injecting them with the vaccine, and then
releasing them. More recently, scientists have found
an easier way to vaccinate. They drop the vaccine
from airplanes in areas where raccoons live. The vac-
cine is contained in lumps of bait that are a mixture
of sugar and fat. The raccoons eat the bait and con-
sume the vaccine.
If you see a raccoon or other nocturnal wild
animal acting strangely during the day, it may
Did You Know . . . have rabies. Do not go near the animal but
The raccoon is one of
immediately call your local animal control offi-
the few animals that can
cer. He or she will investigate and handle the
climb down a tree head
animal in a safe manner.
first. Porcupines and other
animals lack the raccoons
strong claws and agility and
can only climb down back-
ward, tail first.

30
 In order to keep
raccoons healthy, a
trapper catches a
raccoon so he can
vaccinate the raccoon
against rabies and
release the animal back
into the wild.

31
 5 Raccoons
and People
Raccoons and people have had a long and interesting
relationship. Since the time of early Native Americans,
people have told stories about raccoons and admired
them for their intelligence and cleverness. But they
have also hunted this same animal for its fur and meat.
Native Americans traded raccoon pelts with European
colonists for manufactured goods. The colonists and
later Americans made the pelts into warm caps, over-
coats, and other articles of clothing. Pioneers such as
Davy Crockett were known for wearing so-called coon-
skin caps with the tail hanging down in the back.
Early Americans also enjoyed hunting the raccoon
for its dark meat. Today, few people eat raccoon,

Raccoons are sometimes hunted for their fur. Coonskin caps are made
from the skins of raccoons.

33
 although raccoon meat remains popular in certain
parts of the American South where raccoon hunting
is still a sport. Hunters consider raccoon a challenge
to track. The raccoon knows how to throw a hunter
and his hound dogs off its scent. It will wade into a
stream to wash its scent away and then return to
land. It will climb a low-hanging branch of a tree
and then hop back to the ground, also breaking its
scent trail.
Today raccoons continue to die in large num-
bers. More are killed by cars while crossing road-
ways at night than by animal predators and
hunters. Disease claims many others. In the
United States, a wild raccoons life is surpris-
ingly brieffew of them live longer than five
Did You Know . . . years. Yet the raccoon is not on any endan-
President Calvin Coolidges gered species list and faces no threat of
wife, Grace, had a pet extinction. Why is this so? The simple answer
raccoon named Rebecca. is that there are so many of them. In the
Rebecca often roamed through twentieth century, raccoons experienced a
the White House, frightening
population explosion. They are also more
the staff. The Coolidges even-
adaptable to change of habitat than many
tually donated Rebecca to a
zoo in Washington, D.C.
other animals. When forestland is destroyed
for human development, raccoons have

34
Animal lovers protest during a demonstration to stop department stores from
carrying products that contain fur.

35
 When raccoons homes
are destroyed by
human development,
raccoons then make
their homes closer to
humans and sometimes
look for food in
garbage cans.

moved into the suburbs and cities. They eat the food
humans leave out in their garbage. They make their
dens in barns, attics, and garages. In the last few
years, the New York City Department of Parks and
Recreation has reported a rise in the number of
reported raccoon sightings and encounters in the
citys five boroughs, or sections. Raccoons, it appears,
are here to stay.

36
 Some people like raccoons so much that they have
made pets of them. Raccoons are more intelligent
than cats and can be successfully trained by humans.

While keeping raccoons

as pets is highly
discouraged, and is
illegal in some states,
some people have tried
to keep them as pets
and train them as they
would domesticated
animals.

37
 Most experts discourage people from adopting
wild raccoons. It is illegal to have raccoons as pets in
some states. If you want to adopt a raccoon and your
state laws allow it, experts recommend getting one
from a breeder. And be prepared to work hard to
train it. It will take much time and patience.
Raccoons are one of the most common animals in
North America. But there is nothing common about
this fascinating and intriguing animal.

38
 Glossary
carrionThe rotting meat of dead animals.
denThe home of an animal, often in a secluded
place.
domesticSuitable for living and working with
humans.
extinctionThe state of no longer existing.
guard hairsLarge, stiff outer hairs that protect
the underfur of furbearing animals.
hibernateTo go into a deep sleep for the
winter; something certain animals do to survive
the cold and scarcity of food.
home rangeThe area in which an animal
or plant lives.
kitThe young of raccoons or other furbear-
ing animals.
litterA group of young animals born at one
time to a female.

39
 mammalA warm-blooded animal that has hair or
fur and nurses its young with its own milk.
naturalistA person who studies animals and
plants.
nocturnalActive during the night.
omnivoreAn animal that eats both other animals
and plants to survive.
peltsThe hides or skins of animals.
predatorAn animal that preys on, or eats other
animals to survive.
rabiesA fatal disease that strikes the central
nervous system and is mainly spread by the bite
of a rabid animal.
salivary glandsOrgans in the mouth and
jaw of an animal or human that secrete
saliva, a fluid that aids in eating and digest-
ing.
speciesGroups of living things that share
the same characteristics and mate only with
their own kind.

40
tadpoleThe larva of frogs and toads that live in
water.
territoryAn area that an animal lives in and
defends from other animals of the same kind or
species.
vaccineA preparation of dead or weak germs
that stimulates defenses in the body that prevent
certain diseases.

41
 Find Out More
Books
Hanzik, Sharon. Raccoons Dont Use Spoons.
Denver, CO: Outskirts Press, 2009.

Landau, Elaine. Raccoons: Scavengers of the

Night (Animals After Dark). Berkeley Heights,
NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2007.

Merrick, Patrick. Raccoons (New

Naturebook). Mankato, MN: Childs World,
2006.

Ripple, William J. Raccoons. Mankato,

MN: Capstone Press, 2006.

42
Web Sites
Environmental Education for Kids (EEK!)
www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/
mammal/raccoon.htm

NatureWorks
www.nhptv.org/NatureWorks/raccoon.htm

University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/
accounts/information/Procyon_lotor.html

The World Wide Raccoon Web

www.loomcom.com/raccoons/

43
 Index
Page numbers for illustrations are in boldface.

baby raccoons. See eating, 14, 16, 17, of raccoons, 32,

kits 18 3334
eyes, 6, 7, 9, 22, 23 intelligence, 67, 33,
captive raccoons, 17, 34, 37
25 fishing, 16, 17
see also pet rac- foods, 12, 14, 1517, kits, 2125, 22, 23,
coons 23, 36, 36 24
claws, 9, 30 forepaws, 4, 67, 9,
climbing trees, 8, 9, 30 life span, 25, 34
24, 28, 28, 30, 34 foxes, 26
coatimundi, 7 fur, 6, 8, 17, 32, 33, mating, 19, 20, 21,
common raccoons. See 35 23
northern raccoons meat from raccoons,
Coolidge, Grace, 34 giant pandas, 7 3334
coonskin caps, 32, 33
crab-eating raccoons, habitats, 7, 10, 12, northern raccoons, 7,
7, 1213, 13, 15, 34, 36, 36 1011, 11, 15,
21 hibernating, 1819 1718, 21
hog-nosed coons, 7 noses, 9
dens, 17, 20, 21, 25 hunting
diseases, 2830, 34 by raccoons, 9, paws. See forepaws
1617, 19, 22, 23, pet raccoons, 34, 37,
ears, 9, 22, 23 23 3738

44
predators, 26, 2728, see also crab-eating territories, 19,
34 raccoons; kits; 21
rabies, 2830 northern raccoons toes, 4, 6, 9, 17
raccoons, 4, 6, 8, 14,
16, 18, 19, 20, 28, swimming, 28, vaccinations for
29, 36, 37 34 rabies, 30, 31
description of, 79
species of, 7, 1013 tails, 78, 22, 33 washing food, 17, 18

45
 About the Author
Steven Otfinoski is the author of numerous books about animals. He
has written Koalas, Sea Horses, Alligators, Hummingbirds, Dogs,
Horses, Skunks, Pigs and Hogs, and Storks and Cranes in the
Animals Animals series. Otfinoski lives in Connecticut with his wife,
a high school teacher and editor.