Raccoons

The raccoon belongs to the Procyonidae family. They can be anywhere from twelve to thirty pounds and their average length in thirty inches, but they have been known to reach up to forty.

They have a distinct coat of "salt and pepper" fur. Though they don't have a camouflage, their dark fur keeps them well hidden. They have a "mask" of darker fur on a lighter face and also have anywhere from four to seven dark rings on their full tails.

A raccoon's front paws are made to pick up small objects and have been said to look similar to tiny human hands. They have even been known to be able to turn door knobs. The shape of their back paws makes it easy for raccoons to walk on their hide legs.

Raccoons are for the most part carnivores, but its common knowledge that they will eat just about anything that is (or was at one time) food. Their diet consists of anything from berries to rodents and chickens or even garbage. It is said that the one thing that you can not get a raccoon to eat is a tomato. No one really knows why.

Because of the easy access to food and shelter, urban areas are a common place for raccoons to roam. Raccoons have been known to even enter the house through pet doors, so it's recommended that all pet doors should be locked or blocked off at night. Some other ways to get raccoons to lose interest in your area are; to have tight lids on garbage cans and bring any pet food and water indoors at night.

The average size of a raccoon's territory is about 2.5 square km. This size is different, however, depending on the amount of food available to the raccoon. Most often, instead of building their own "den", they will simply take over the abandoned nest previously belonging to a skink or maybe a fox.

Raccoons, like all wildlife, can carry diseases. Some common diseases raccoons can pass on are; rabies, toxoplasmosis, canine distemper, coccidiosis and many more. Besides fleas and ticks, one parasite commonly found with raccoons is roundworms. These diseases and parasites can also be passed to their young.

When a female raccoon is pregnant, she will carry her "litter" for up to 63 days. After this time, she can give birth to four or five babies. For 23 out of the 24 hours in a day, the mother stays with her litter in the nest. One hour everyday is spent gathering food for her and her babies. Male raccoons have little or nothing to do with offspring.

Raccoons can be found almost anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. Most of the time, you will not even notice a raccoon in your area, however, they can be a real nuisance. They may seem cute, but it's important to try and keep your distance. They have been known to be short tempered.