- For the animated television series see The Raccoons
"A very interesting book could be written about the Raccoon and, with its industrious energy and resourcefulness, it deserves to be elevated to the status of the National Emblem in place of the parasitical, carrion-feeding Bald Eagle.
-Ivan T. Sanderson in Living Mammals of the World
The Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor), often just called the Raccoon, is a mammal native to America.
Procyon lotor is the most common type of raccoon in North America. Adult weight varies with habitat but an average is 12 to 21 pounds (about 5.5 to 9.5 kg), the largest recorded being over 28 kg [1] (http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/racoon.htm). They have black facial colorings around the eyes, and have a bushy tail with light and dark alternating rings. The coat is a mixture of gray, brown, and black fur. On rare occasions, raccoons may be albino. The characteristic eye colorings make the animal look like it is wearing a "bandit's mask".
Raccoons are nocturnal and eat a large variety of things, including berries, insects, and other small animals. Raccoons are known to "wash" their food before eating it. It is not certain that this act is performed to actually clean food – some studies find that raccoons engage in "washing" even when water is not available.
Mating usually occurs in January or February and a litter of 4–5 young are born in April or May (varies by climate). Raccoons usually live in hollow trees, ground burrows, or caves. Males have no part in raising the young. By late summer the litter will be weaned and begin to fend for themselves. In severe winter climates, raccoons may become dormant but do not hibernate.
At one time, raccoons were aggressively trapped for their fur. People such as Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett are well known for wearing coonskin hats. Populations suffered greatly but have recovered. The raccoon is also well known for being one of the largest animals which have adapted extremely well to cities.
Links
The World Wide Raccoon Web (http://www.loomcom.com/raccoons/)
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