Raccoons - A Common Urban Wildlife Species
IDENTIFYING RACCOONS
The distinguishing characteristic of a raccoon is its famous black face mask and white and black striped tail.. Adult raccoons weigh from 19 to 35 pounds. They have 40 teeth. The most obvious characteristics of raccoons are the face and tail. The raccoon's overall body coloration is a mixture of black, white, and light brown hair. Their fur (pelage) has a very dense layer of brownish or yellowish-gray inner fur. The guard hair (outer layer of fur, longer fur which is seen on the pelage surface) on their back has black tips. The side and belly guard hairs have beige or white tips. The forehead, ears, and muzzle (nose) are buff. Raccoons shed their fur once during the late spring. The shedding and regrowth processes take several weeks from April through June. Raccoons occasionally have pelage which is melanistic (all black), or albinistic (all white).
WHERE DO THEY LIVE?
Raccoons have adapted themselves to city life. Trash cans or dumpsters provide supplemental food, storm sewers serve as travel lanes, and attics and fireplace chimneys are used as dens. This replaces the trees, streams and fields which meet a raccoon's physical needs in more rural areas.
WHAT DO THEY EAT?
Raccoons eat both plant and animal foods. Acorns and other nuts, corn, seeds, berries, fruit, vegetables, and grain crops serve as raccoon food. If given the opportunity, they will also eat mice, ground squirrels and other small mammals. They even eat earthworms and insects. Raccoons are known to prey upon both eggs and adult ground nesting birds, chickens and waterfowl. They eat freshwater shellfish such as snails or mussels/clams, crayfish, frogs, snakes, and turtles or turtle eggs. Minnows and other types of fish are eaten. In the city, they may add pet food, table scraps and other garbage, and vegetables or fruit from backyard gardens to their menu. It is crucial that they have access to highly nutritious, fattening foods during the fall. Raccoons may double their body weight in the fall in preparation for winter. They do not store food supplies for the winter.
HOW DOES A RACCOON SPEND ITS LIFE?
Courtship and reproduction. Male raccoons leave their dens on warm winter days to eat and to seek a mate. When they find a female ready to mate, much chasing and tumbling with each other ensues, with plenty of noisy chatter. Raccoons usually mate during February with litters born in late May. They usually give birth to three to seven young. By six weeks of age, the young raccoon fully coverd with fur and is quite active - tumbling and playing with its litter mates. At nine weeks of age, the mother begins bringing the kits solid food. The young may live with their mother up to a year. The father breeds with several females and does not participate in raising the young.
Territories and Home Ranges. By March of their second year, the young raccoons begin seeking their own territories and dens. A female raccoon only defends the territory immediately surrounding its den tree when young coons are present. Females don't travel far from their place of birth to locate home ranges (area of daily or seasonal activities) because they frequently share overlapping home ranges. Male raccoons, on the other hand, frequently travel some distance from their birth territory to locate a new territory and den since older raccoons maintain the same territories for several years. Males will not tolerate other males within their territory. The male uses scent markings to identify its territory. It will physically force other males from their territory. The size of a raccoon's home range depends on food and whether dens are available. The home ranges of raccoons may overlap when food supplies are abundant. They may also share dens during severe weather which permits them to share body warmth. Raccoons will use dens in a variety of locations. City dwelling raccoons use fireplace chimneys or attics as dens which sometimes leads to homeowners finding raccoons loose in their house! Raccoons do not really hibernate but do experience a type of dormancy that involves a slight lowering of body temperature during winter months. They will wake up when the outside temperature rises and search for food and, of course, mating opportunities. If the winter is unusually severe, they may sleep until they starve to death because their body reserves of fat were used up.
Raccoons spend much of their time in trees. They waddle when walking on the ground and may easily be overtaken by humans or dogs. Some people think they look like "drunken sailors" when they walk. Raccoons are nocturnal animals. They roam both on the ground and in tree tops from sunset to sunrise. Daylight hours are spent resting. Coons can be noisy animals. The sounds vary from screeches and squalls to the soft, churring sound of the mother calling her kits. Coons often growl when cornered or challenged. Since raccoons are primarily nocturnal, it is difficult to know if they live within a particular area. Two main evidences indicate the presence of raccoons. The first is their scat (body waste) and the second is their tracks. Raccoons use specific locations in their territory for defecation (elimination of body wastes). The tracks are distinctive since the front foot track looks like a human hand and the hind foot track looks like a miniature human footprint.
Raccoons and Humans. Raccoons help humans when they eat mice, moles, and baby rabbits. Some plants such as raspberries and blackberries rely on animals such as raccoons for seed dispersal. Seeds remain undigested as they pass through the raccoon's body and are deposited on the ground at a distance from the parent plant. Hunters enjoy chasing raccoons with dogs. Their fur is used for coats or fur trims. Many like raccoon meat.
Raccoons can be destructive in waterfowl breeding areas because they eat the eggs and young hatchlings. However, the most common problem in the city is their eating corn and vegetable from our gardens. They may investigate open garages and jump out at people putting trash in community dumpsters. Here are some good suggestions for solving raccoon problems.
Most city dwellers seldom see the raccoon because they are night roaming animals. However, as with any kind of wildlife, if it appears tame - stay away because it may have rabies. Children should always be taught not to touch "tame" animals in the yard. If you have a pest raccoon, check out this site to learn some ways to control the problem.
Suggested web resources on raccoons:
Some people actually want to attract raccoons to their yard (I assume they don't have gardens that get destroyed). If you are one of these people, please check out the The World Wide Raccoon Web for pictures and detailed information. NOTE: I do not encourage anyone to consider adopting a raccoon as a pet - orphaned or not.
Pictures of raccoons being fed.
Pictures (slow loading).
Suggestions on keeping raccoons from moving into your home/yard.
Until next week, good gardening to you!
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