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Northern Raccoon - (Procyon lotor)
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July
12, 2010 - We haven't seen our raccoon buddy
since this same time last summer. That
cute face stays until he has had a good belly
full of sunflower seeds. His dexterous
hands can manipulate almost any feeder, but he
seems to understand force that causes
destruction is completely unnecessary.
I freely admit we have never
had trouble with raccoons in our trash or had
them ripe apart feeders and strew them across
the yard. Unlike our bear
visitors, these guys can gaze gently at the
camera and seem to say "Thank you for the treat,
Food Guys."
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What's in a name?
Indian
tribes had many words for
raccoons, based on various traits (agile
forepaws, dog-like, bear-like, ringed
tail, pelt usage, eater of crabs and
crayfish, and other words with no real
translation). The present name for
raccoon came from the North American
tribal word aroughcun which is
translated "he who scratches with his
hands." While most of the raccoons'
names tell us something about them,
their dexterous use of their front paws
is a trait we all know as both clever
and sneaky. They are one of the cutest
pests in our yards.
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The scientific name
Procyon means "before dog" and lotor
means "washer" (eats prey found in water
and often appears to be washing food).
My personal favorite name is "Rocky
Raccoon" (Credit goes to the Beatles and
an old Flip Wilson comedy act).
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The masked bandit has
appeared in our backyard on four occasions last
summer (2009). As with any new visitor we got
very excited. However, after gathering
lots of researched information, we have
concluded that as cute as they may be, we have
enough other "bandits" emptying our birdfeeders.
An occasional visitor is delightful, but some of
our other critters are content to stay for
the all-you-can-eat buffet, that is open all day
and night.
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Size: |
Head and Body Length: 16-28 in |
Tail Length: 6-16 in |
Weight: 5-33 lb |
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ID:
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Male: Fur
generally grizzled gray with lighter
underside; broad face with pointy snout
ending in black nose; black mask across
cheeks and eyes in otherwise whitish
face; dark ears with whitish tips; bushy
tail has 5-7 dark rings; all four feet
have five toes and are bare-soled (not
furred) and flat (produces more of a
waddle than walk); front feet are
similar in appearance and dexterity to a
human hand
Female:Mature at a
year (male 2 years) but are generally
smaller (about 25%) than mature males;
markings are same as males
Juvenile:Similar but
smaller version of an adult |
| Habitat: |
Prefer woodland near
water; known to live in rock crevices,
hollow trees, abandoned buildings or
ground burrows created by other animals;
underbrush and caves; found in urban and
rural areas |
| Diet: |
Omnivorous; eats
fruit, vegetables, nuts, grain, eggs,
crops, fish, insects and frogs; areas
around humans: feed in garbage cans and
dumps and pet and bird feeders |
| Family Behavior: |
Mating
Habits: Males polygamous and
promiscuous; females monogamous; mates
January to March; gestation about 63-65
days; 2-7 kits per litter born between
April and June
Nests: Kits born in maternity den
(usually hollow tree or crevice)
Babies: Born with ears and eyes closed
(both functional by 4 weeks) and no
teeth (erupt at 20 days) weighing about
2.5 oz and are 4 inches long; at 10
days have light fur covering, faint mask
and ringed tail; walk at 4 to 6 weeks;
remain in den about 8 weeks, but may
nurse longer; only female tends and
teaches young; family may stay in group
until following spring (kits could be
independent at 4-6 months)
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| Activities: |
Usually nocturnal;
often loners; territorial; usually mild
mannered (prefer to flee, but can fight
fiercely if trapped); in winter spend
most of time in dens without eating
(does not hibernate); excellent climber
and swimmer |
| Predators and
Dangers: |
Coyotes, wolves,
owls, bobcats, large snakes and dogs;
worst predator is man-hunting for sport
and food, trapping for pelt, and
automobile death when feeding on road
kill |
| Sounds: |
Mostly quiet; high
pitched screams and growls during
courtship or when threatened; fights
sound similar to cats fighting; mom
trills to young; babies mew, twitter or
cry in stress or when fed; vocabulary of
51 vocalizations (one source says 200)
as a means of communication |
| Range: |
Across North America
with sources of water; southern Canada,
US and into Mexico and Central America |
| Sighted in our
Backyard: |
May23, 09; June 04,
09; June 29, 09; July 25, 09 |
| Lifespan: |
In wild about 5
years (often less); protected about
10-12 years (17 years once noted) |
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