Raccoon Information



One of the commonest animals you are likely to run into in North American cities or suburbs is the raccoon. This animal goes by a number of names, such as the coon, the common raccoon, and even the North American raccoon, which denotes its main geographical distribution. This animal is a mammal which normally has a body length of 16-20 inches, and weighs around eight to twenty pounds as an adult. These animals are usually nocturnal, so you are unlikely to spot them during the day. If you need to have the best chance of seeing one, you would need to pay attention at night when they come out to feed.

Speaking of diet, the raccoon has one of the most variable diets. While other animals may have strict diets, the raccoon can eat almost any kind of food, as it is omnivorous. In the wild, the raccoon mostly feeds on invertebrate animals, plants and very rarely some small vertebrates. In the modern world, most of the raccoons have slightly modified diets, as some of them may be found eating the remains of food that humans eat, usually found in the trash. In fact, in some states it is very common to find that the raccoons are despised since they can make quite a mess when they are going through one’s trash looking for food.

It is very easy to spot a raccoon. This is because it has a very distinctive mask. In fact, this facial feature is so distinctive that it has been the subject of myths for many Native Americans in the past. If you see a picture of one, you are very unlikely to forget it when you spot one in real life. In addition to the facial features, a raccoon also happens to have a gray coat of fur, which is usually used to keep it warm during the cold seasons.

Some of the other characteristics that are distinctive to the raccoon include its front paws. These are usually highly adaptable, meaning that they can be used to perform a huge variety of functions. There are few other mammals apart from man and the apes that have as much dexterity in their front limbs, which makes the raccoon a very special animal. In addition to that, it has been proven that raccoons also have very good memory, unlike most other animals. For instance, they are known to be able to remember solutions to problems even three years after they are taught, which is something that is truly astounding.

In the past, raccoons were mostly indigenous to the forests of North America. However, due to features such as their intelligence and general adaptability, they are now found in many other places, such as urban areas, in mountains and sometimes even in the coastal marshes of the country. In urban areas, most people consider them to be pests, mostly because they can cause a huge mess when going through trash looking for food. The raccoons can also be found in other continents as well, such as Europe and some parts of Asia such as Japan.

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