The word raccoon comes from the Native American word arakum meaning “he who scratches with his hand.”
Raccoons are nocturnal meaning they are more active at night.
Raccoons are mammals.
They have very high IQ’s, they are one of the smartest animals.
Raccoons live in most parts of the United States, Southern part of Canada, Northern parts of South American, and in some parts of Europe and Japan.
Raccoon’s prefer to live in wooded areas near water; however they are very adaptable and can live in suburban and urban areas.
Raccoons live in dens in hollow trees, logs, under decks, sheds, barns they will even try to live in a house attic.
Raccoons have 40 teeth.
On average raccoons weigh between 8-20 pounds.
They are between 16-28 inches long.
Raccoons are great swimmers and climbers.
Raccoons are sometimes referred to as “little bandits” because they look like they are wearing a mask.
They are furry animals with a bushy tail that has dark colored rings.
Raccoons come in a variety of colors including black, brown, gray, and shades of red.
A raccoon’s hand is similar to ours as it has 5 fingers.
They use their hands to pick up and carry objects, hunt and fish.
Although a raccoon may look like a cute little animal, you should never go near one, they known to bite and scratch.
Some raccoons also carry disease such as rabies, leptospirosis, salmonella and roundworm.
Raccoons are omnivores meaning that they eat both plants and animals. Raccoons will often eat fruits, seeds, nuts, birds’ eggs, insects, fish, frogs and plants.
Really a raccoon will eat just about anything. Sometimes they will even go through your garbage can for food.
Raccoons are sometimes seen dipping their food in water before eating it.
Even though raccoons do not hibernate, they sleep a lot in the winter. To prepare for the cold months raccoons will eat a lot to put on extra fat.
Raccoons are solitary animals meaning they spend a lot of time alone.
They are very territorial. Beside a mother with her babies, the only other time raccoons will socialize is to mate.
A group of raccoons is called a nursery or a gaze.
A mother usually gives birth to two or three babies called kit.
The mother will teach the kits to hunt and live in the wild. They will stay with their kits for about a year.
Raccoons communicate using a variety of sounds including purring, growling, hissing and whistling.
Predators to raccoons are coyotes, wolves, hawks, owls and people.
Often people hurt raccoons by accidentally’ hitting them with their cars.
In the wild raccoons on average live between 1-5 years. In captivity they can live around 20 years.
Signs you may have been visited by a raccoon
Your garbage cans have been knocked over.
Your garden is destroyed and someone ate all your fruits and vegetables.
Your singles are torn on your house.
You see raccoon prints: a foot and hand with five long toes or fingers.
You hear scratching sounds coming from your attic.
