Northern Raccoon

Physical Features

This 'Coon', as it is commonly referred to, has a grayish coat or orange- brown with much black and grayish under parts. About 90% of it is dense grayish under fur used for insulation during chilly, rigid temperatures. It is easily identified by its face that has a black mask and white outline. Its tail is bushy with 3 or 4 alternating rings usually, brownish-gray. It also has extremely dexterous front paws. It has a body length of 16-18 inches and a weight of 9 – 21 pounds.

Habitat

Raccoons prefer habitats that are located in elevated areas, such as tree hollows or holes. They like vertical structures that they can climb up when they feel threatened. You will never find them spaces like open terrains or forests especially with Beachwood trees, as they are quite too slippery to climb. It has been observed that raccoons love mixed forests with plenty of water and grasslands. They can also be found along wooded stream as well as in the rural and cities areas.

Diet

The omnivore feeds on a wide variety of  insects, worms, invertebrates and vertebrates, fruits, nuts, amphibians as well as fishes. Their diet is primarily composed of invertebrates, plant material and vertebrates in the ratio 4:3:3. They are primarily nocturnal but come out during the days to find additional food sources. During the summer, they feed on wide variety of fruits such as acorns, mangoes and nuts to build up their body supplies for winter. Sometimes, they may even tackle large prey and mammals. It is important to note that Raccoons inspect and examine all foods they eat using their extremely dexterous front paws to remove parts they don't want. They also watch their foods before they eat it, particularly fruits, in an effort to moisten it as they have very little saliva secretion.

Meat

The meat of the Raccoon is often barbecued and made as festive meal. It was commonly eaten by American as well as slaves in their time. Today a lesser proportion of the creature is eaten as many people find them cute and intelligent and as such refrain from doing so

Behavior

Breeding often occurs between the latter part of January and March. Males often search to find females to mate. After he has found her mating takes place over a few nights. After a gestation period of about 3 months the female gives birth to 3 – 5 kits. They are blind and deaf at birth. They usually have a high mortality rate usually primarily due to weather or predators. The mother cares for her young by feeding them with milk and protecting them from danger. After 20 weeks they are old enough to move around and fend for themselves.

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