Raccoon
Procyon lotor · Mammal, procyonid
From the Capy Learning Corner encyclopedia
- Native range
- Native to North and Central America, from forests and wetlands to the middle of cities.
- Size
- Typically 10 to 25 pounds, in a masked bandit costume.
- Lifespan
- Only a few years on average in the wild; considerably longer in professional care.
- Conservation
- IUCN Least Concern.
Little Learners Corner
Raccoons have super-feeling hands, and dipping them in water helps them feel things even better.
Say it like a scientist: PRO-see-on LOW-tor
Where They Live
Anywhere with food, water, and a den site, which is why raccoons thrive from swamps to storm drains.
What They Eat
Omnivore. Crayfish, insects, fruit, eggs, and whatever a trash can offers.
How They Live
Mostly solitary, brilliant, and famously dexterous. A raccoon's hands carry dense touch receptors, and wetting them heightens the sense further, which is why raccoons appear to wash their food.
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Raccoons as Pets?
Raccoons are wild animals, illegal to keep in many states, and their intelligence makes them escape artists and demolition experts. Injured or orphaned raccoons belong with licensed rehabilitators.
Fun Facts
Raccoons can remember the solutions to puzzles for years.
Their masked face may reduce glare, like a ballplayer's eye black.
Touch, not sight, is their superpower: their hands read objects like braille.
Capy Quiz: Prove It
Why do raccoons dunk food in water?
Keep exploring: Coati came before this, Red Fox is next, or head back to the full Animal Encyclopedia.
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