Raccoons are round, fuzzy creatures with bushy tails and a black mask of fur that covers their eye area. These animals may look like cute, cuddly bandits, but they can be quite fearsome when approached.
Identification
General Description | Round and fuzzy with bushy tails and black mask of fur that covers the eye area |
Length | 15 to 28 inches |
Weight | 11 to 57 pounds |
Color | Grayish coat mostly consists of underfur which insulates it against cold weather |
Sounds | Raccoons make a variety of chittering, purring, snorting, growling, snarling, whimpering, and screaming sounds |
Reproduction
Raccoons usually mate in a period triggered by increasing daylight between late January and mid-March. After 63 to 65 days of gestation, a litter of 2 to 5 young are born.
Food
Raccoons eat insects, worms, and other animals along with acorns and walnuts, depending on the season. They prefer prey that is easier to catch, specifically fish, amphibians, and bird eggs.
Habitat
Raccoons depend on vertical structures to climb when they feel threatened. They avoid open terrain and ares with high concentrations of beech trees, as beech bar is too smooth to climb.
Fun Facts
Raccoons see with their hands. While most animals use either sight, sound, or smell to hunt, raccoons rely on their sense of touch to locate goodies.
