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98-787: The North Fork of the Clearwater and the Lochsa rivers provide miles of tumbling white water interspersed with quiet pools for migratory and resident fish. The mountains provide a habitat for raccoon , elk , moose , black bear , two species of fox , bald eagle , marten , white-tailed and mule deer , coyote , wolf packs, cougar , boreal owl , river otter , muskrat , beaver , pika , fisher , mink , and mountain goat . In 2012, Clearwater National Forest and Nez Perce National Forest were administratively combined as Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests , with headquarters in Kamiah, Idaho . The forest

196-415: A gestation period of about 65 days, two to five young known as "kits" are born in spring. The kits are subsequently raised by their mother until dispersal in late fall. Although captive raccoons have been known to live over 20 years, their life expectancy in the wild is only 1.8 to 3.1 years. In many areas, hunting and vehicular injury are the two most common causes of death. Names for the species include

294-470: A "three-class society". Samuel I. Zeveloff, professor of zoology at Weber State University and author of the book Raccoons: A Natural History , is more cautious in his interpretation and concludes at least the females are solitary most of the time and, according to Erik K. Fritzell's study in North Dakota in 1978, males in areas with low population densities are solitary as well. The shape and size of

392-491: A few decades before the 20th century. Since the 1950s, raccoons have expanded their range from Vancouver Island —formerly the northernmost limit of their range—far into the northern portions of the four south-central Canadian provinces. New habitats which have recently been occupied by raccoons (aside from urban areas) include mountain ranges, such as the Western Rocky Mountains , prairies and coastal marshes . After

490-504: A figure comparable to those of urban habitats in North America. Home range sizes of urban raccoons are only 3 to 40 hectares (7.5 to 100 acres) for females and 8 to 80 hectares (20 to 200 acres) for males. In small towns and suburbs, many raccoons sleep in a nearby forest after foraging in the settlement area. Fruit and insects in gardens and leftovers in municipal waste are easily available food sources. Furthermore,

588-407: A following inflammation of the brain ( encephalitis ), causing the animal to display rabies-like symptoms. In Germany, the first eight cases of distemper were reported in 2007. Some of the most important bacterial diseases which affect raccoons are leptospirosis , listeriosis , tetanus , and tularemia . Although internal parasites weaken their immune systems , well-fed individuals can carry

686-462: A full-time carnivore , but the molars are not as wide as those of a herbivore . The penis bone of males is about 10 cm (3.9 in) long and strongly bent at the front end, and its shape can be used to distinguish juvenile males from mature males. Seven of the thirteen identified vocal calls are used in communication between the mother and her kits, one of these being the birdlike twittering of newborns. The most important sense for

784-421: A great many roundworms in their digestive tracts without showing symptoms. The larvae of the roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis , which can be contained in the feces and seldom causes a severe illness in humans, can be ingested when cleaning raccoon latrines without wearing breathing protection. Procyonid Procyonidae ( / ˌ p r oʊ s iː ˈ ɒ n ɪ d iː / PROH -see- ON -i-dee )

882-406: A high mortality rate, due, for example, to hunting or severe winters. While male yearlings usually reach their sexual maturity only after the main mating season, female yearlings can compensate for high mortality rates and may be responsible for about 50% of all young born in a year. Males have no part in raising young. The kits (also called "cubs") are blind and deaf at birth, but their mask

980-631: A large number of additional sleeping areas exist in these areas, such as hollows in old garden trees, cottages, garages, abandoned houses, and attics. The percentage of urban raccoons sleeping in abandoned or occupied houses varies from 15% in Washington, DC (1991) to 43% in Kassel (2003). Raccoons can carry rabies , a lethal disease caused by the neurotropic rabies virus carried in the saliva and transmitted by bites. Its spread began in Florida and Georgia in

1078-579: A period triggered by increasing daylight between late January and mid-March. However, there are large regional differences which are not completely explicable by solar conditions. For example, while raccoons in southern states typically mate later than average, the mating season in Manitoba also peaks later than usual in March and extends until June. During the mating season, males restlessly roam their home ranges in search of females in an attempt to court them during

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1176-407: A population explosion starting in the 1940s, the estimated number of raccoons in North America in the late 1980s was 15 to 20 times higher than in the 1930s, when raccoons were comparatively rare. Urbanization , the expansion of agriculture , deliberate introductions, and the extermination of natural predators of the raccoon have probably caused this increase in abundance and distribution. As

1274-829: A population previously established in Transcaucasia . The range of Soviet raccoons was never single or continuous, as they were often introduced to different locations far from each other. All introductions into the Russian Far East failed; melanistic raccoons were released on Petrov Island near Vladivostok and some areas of southern Primorsky Krai , but died. In Central Asia , raccoons were released in Kyrgyzstan 's Jalal-Abad Province , though they were later recorded as "practically absent" there in January ;1963. A large and stable raccoon population (yielding 1,000~1,500 catches

1372-631: A population to be hunted for their fur. Two of these introductions were successful – one in the south of Belarus between 1954 and 1958, and another in Azerbaijan between 1941 and 1957. With a seasonal harvest of between 1,000~1,500 animals, in 1974 the estimated size of the population distributed in the Caucasus region was around 20,000 animals and the density was four animals per square kilometer (10 animals per square mile). In Japan, up to 1,500 raccoons were imported as pets each year after

1470-455: A raccoon's home range varies depending on age, sex, and habitat, with adults claiming areas more than twice as large as juveniles. While the size of home ranges in the habitat of North Dakota's prairies lie between 7 and 50 km (3 and 20 sq mi) for males and between 2 and 16 km (1 and 6 sq mi) for females, the average size in a marsh at Lake Erie was 0.5 km (0.19 sq mi). Irrespective of whether

1568-533: A reflex of a Proto-Algonquian root * ahrah-koon-em , meaning '[the] one who rubs, scrubs and scratches with its hands'. The word is sometimes spelled as racoon . In Spanish , the raccoon is called mapache , derived from the Nahuatl mapachtli of the Aztecs , meaning '[the] one who takes everything in its hands'. Its Latin name, procyon lotor , literally means 'before-dog washer'. The genus Procyon

1666-410: A result of escapes and deliberate introductions in the mid-20th century, raccoons are now also distributed across central Europe , the Caucasus , and Japan . In Europe, the raccoon has been included on the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union Concern since 2016. This implies that this species cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, or intentionally released into the environment in

1764-407: A result of escapes and deliberate introductions in the mid-20th century, the raccoon is now distributed in several European and Asian countries. Sightings have occurred in all the countries bordering Germany, which hosts the largest population outside of North America. Another stable population exists in northern France, where several pet raccoons were released by members of the U.S. Air Force near

1862-433: A short and wide facial region and a voluminous braincase . The facial length of the skull is less than the cranial , and their nasal bones are short and quite broad. The auditory bullae are inflated in form, and the sagittal crest is weakly developed. The dentition —40 teeth with the dental formula : 3.1.4.2 3.1.4.2 —is adapted to their omnivorous diet: the carnassials are not as sharp and pointed as those of

1960-434: A threat on occasion in other areas. Where still present, gray wolves may still occasionally take raccoons as a supplemental prey item. Also in the southeast, they are among the favored prey for adult American alligators . On occasion, both bald and golden eagles will prey on raccoons. In the tropics, raccoons are known to fall prey to smaller eagles such as ornate hawk-eagles and black hawk-eagles , although it

2058-690: A very dark coat are more common in the German population because individuals with such coloring were among those initially released to the wild. The dense underfur , which accounts for almost 90% of the coat, insulates against cold weather and is composed of 2 to 3 cm (0.79 to 1.18 in) long hairs. The raccoon, whose method of locomotion is usually considered to be plantigrade , can stand on its hind legs to examine objects with its front paws. As raccoons have short legs compared to their compact torso, they are usually not able either to run quickly or jump great distances. Their top speed over short distances

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2156-451: A watering hole with a layout similar to a stream is not farther away than 3 m (10 ft). The widely accepted theory is that dousing in captive raccoons is a fixed action pattern from the dabbling behavior performed when foraging at shores for aquatic foods. This is supported by the observation that aquatic foods are doused more frequently. Cleaning dirty food does not seem to be a reason for "washing". Raccoons usually mate in

2254-727: A year) was established in Azerbaijan after an introduction to the area in 1937. Raccoons apparently survived an introduction near Terek , along the Sulak River into the Dagestani lowlands. Attempts to settle raccoons on the Kuban River 's left tributary and Kabardino-Balkaria were unsuccessful. A successful acclimatization occurred in Belarus , where three introductions (consisting of 52, 37, and 38 individuals in 1954 and 1958) took place. By January 1963, 700 individuals were recorded in

2352-476: Is 16 to 24 km/h (9.9 to 14.9 mph). Raccoons can swim with an average speed of about 5 km/h (3.1 mph) and can stay in the water for several hours. For climbing down a tree headfirst—an unusual ability for a mammal of its size—a raccoon rotates its hind feet so they are pointing backwards. Raccoons have a dual cooling system to regulate their temperature ; that is, they are able to both sweat and pant for heat dissipation. Raccoon skulls have

2450-656: Is 2 million acres (8,100 km) and contains mountains and river drainage areas. The Lochsa and Clearwater Rivers flow through the forest region. Portions of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness are also located in the forest. In descending order of land area the forest is located in Idaho , Clearwater , and Shoshone counties. Forest Service headquarters are located in Kamiah, Idaho . There are local ranger district offices in Kooskia , Powell (near Lolo, Montana, on

2548-409: Is a New World family of the order Carnivora . It includes the raccoons , ringtails , cacomistles , coatis , kinkajous , olingos , and olinguitos . Procyonids inhabit a wide range of environments and are generally omnivorous . Procyonids are relatively small animals, with generally slender bodies and long tails, though the common raccoon tends to be bulky. Because of their general build,

2646-551: Is already visible against their light fur. The birth weight of the roughly 10 cm (4 in)-long kits is between 60 and 75 g (2.1 and 2.6 oz). Their ear canals open after around 18 to 23 days, a few days before their eyes open for the first time. Once the kits weigh about 1 kg (2 lb), they begin to explore outside the den, consuming solid food for the first time after six to nine weeks. After this point, their mother suckles them with decreasing frequency; they are usually weaned by 16 weeks. In

2744-431: Is easier to catch, specifically crayfish , insects , fish , amphibians and bird eggs. Raccoons are virulent predators of eggs and hatchlings in both birds and reptile nests, to such a degree that, for threatened prey species, raccoons may need to be removed from the area or nests may need to be relocated to mitigate the effect of their predations (i.e. in the case of some globally threatened turtles ). When food

2842-498: Is inconvenient, raccoons use burrows dug by other mammals, dense undergrowth or tree crotches. In a study in the Solling range of hills in Germany, more than 60% of all sleeping places were used only once, but those used at least ten times accounted for about 70% of all uses. Since amphibians, crustaceans , and other animals around the shore of lakes and rivers are an important part of

2940-588: Is not a significant cause of death, especially because larger predators have been exterminated in many areas inhabited by raccoons. Although they have thrived in sparsely wooded areas in the last decades, raccoons depend on vertical structures to climb when they feel threatened. Therefore, they avoid open terrain and areas with high concentrations of beech trees, as beech bark is too smooth to climb. Tree hollows in old oaks or other trees and rock crevices are preferred by raccoons as sleeping, winter and litter dens. If such dens are unavailable or accessing them

3038-467: Is not clear whether adults or merely juvenile raccoons are taken by these. In rare cases of overlap, they may fall victim from carnivores ranging from species averaging smaller than themselves such as fishers to those as large and formidable as jaguars in Mexico . In their introduced range in the former Soviet Union, their main predators are wolves , lynxes and Eurasian eagle-owls . However, predation

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3136-466: Is now believed that procyonids are more closely related to mustelids than to bears. Procyonids share common morphological characteristics including a shortened rostrum, absent alisphenoid canals, and a relatively flat mandibular fossa. Kinkajous have unique morphological characteristics consistent with their arboreally adapted locomotion, including a prehensile tail and unique femoral structure. Due to their omnivorous diet, procyonids have lost some of

3234-422: Is plentiful, raccoons can develop strong individual preferences for specific foods. In the northern parts of their range, raccoons go into a winter rest , reducing their activity drastically as long as a permanent snow cover makes searching for food difficult. One aspect of raccoon behavior is so well known that it gives the animal part of its scientific name, Procyon lotor ; lotor is Latin for 'washer'. In

3332-526: Is still regarded as a separate species. The four smallest raccoon subspecies, with a typical weight of 1.8 to 2.7 kg (4.0 to 6.0 lb), live along the southern coast of Florida and on the adjacent islands; an example is the Ten Thousand Islands raccoon ( Procyon lotor marinus ). Most of the other 15 subspecies differ only slightly from each other in coat color, size and other physical characteristics. The two most widespread subspecies are

3430-502: Is usually between 5 and 12 kg (11 and 26 lb). The smallest specimens live in southern Florida, while those near the northern limits of the raccoon's range tend to be the largest (see Bergmann's rule ) . Males are usually 15 to 20% heavier than females. At the beginning of winter, a raccoon can weigh twice as much as in spring because of fat storage. The largest recorded wild raccoon weighed 28.4 kg (63 lb) and measured 140 cm (55 in) in total length, by far

3528-586: The Laon-Couvron Air Base in 1966. Furthermore, raccoons have been known to be in the area around Madrid since the early 1970s. In 2013, the city authorized "the capture and death of any specimen". It is also present in Italy , with one self-sustaining population in Lombardy . About 1,240 animals were released in nine regions of the former Soviet Union between 1936 and 1958 for the purpose of establishing

3626-575: The Rexroad Formation characterized by its narrow back teeth and large lower jaw. As of 2005, Mammal Species of the World recognizes 22 subspecies of raccoons. Four of these subspecies living only on small Central American and Caribbean islands were often regarded as distinct species after their discovery. These are the Bahamian raccoon and Guadeloupe raccoon , which are very similar to each other;

3724-624: The Tres Marias raccoon , which is larger than average and has an angular skull; and the extinct Barbados raccoon . Studies of their morphological and genetic traits in 1999, 2003 and 2005 led all these island raccoons to be listed as subspecies of the common raccoon in Mammal Species of the World's third edition. A fifth island raccoon population, the Cozumel raccoon , which weighs only 3 to 4 kg (6.6 to 8.8 lb) and has notably small teeth,

3822-409: The abstract principles of the locking mechanisms and their learning speed was equivalent to that of rhesus macaques . Studies in 1963, 1973, 1975 and 1992 concentrated on raccoon memory showed that they can remember the solutions to tasks for at least three years. In a study by B. Pohl in 1992, raccoons were able to instantly differentiate between identical and different symbols three years after

3920-475: The biodiversity of an area. Hohmann holds that extensive hunting cannot be justified by the absence of natural predators, because predation is not a significant cause of death in the North American raccoon population. The raccoon is extensively hunted in Germany as it is seen as an invasive species and pest . In the 1990s, only about 400 raccoons were hunted yearly. This increased dramatically over

4018-533: The common raccoon or northern raccoon to distinguish it from the other species, is a mammal native to North America . It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of 40 to 70 cm (16 to 28 in), and a body weight of 5 to 26 kg (11 to 57 lb). Its grayish coat mostly consists of dense underfur , which insulates it against cold weather. The animal's most distinctive features include its extremely dexterous front paws , its facial mask, and its ringed tail, which are common themes in

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4116-586: The common raccoon , North American raccoon , and northern raccoon . In various North American native languages, the reference to the animal's manual dexterity, or use of its hands is the source for the names. The word raccoon was adopted into English from the native Powhatan term meaning 'animal that scratches with its hands', as used in the Colony of Virginia . It was recorded on John Smith 's list of Powhatan words as aroughcun , and on that of William Strachey as arathkone . It has also been identified as

4214-518: The crab-eating raccoon ( Procyon cancrivorus ), the ancestors of the common raccoon left tropical and subtropical areas and migrated farther north about 2.5 million years ago, in a migration that has been confirmed by the discovery of fossils in the Great Plains dating back to the middle of the Pliocene . Its most recent ancestor was likely Procyon rexroadensis , a large Blancan raccoon from

4312-466: The fauna ". Several prior attempts to introduce raccoons in Germany had been unsuccessful. A second population was established in eastern Germany in 1945 when 25 raccoons escaped from a fur farm at Wolfshagen (today district of Altlandsberg ), east of Berlin, after an air strike. The two populations are parasitologically distinguishable: 70% of the raccoons of the Hessian population are infected with

4410-420: The mating season —or against other potential invaders. Such a group does not usually consist of more than four individuals. Since some males show aggressive behavior towards unrelated kits, mothers will isolate themselves from other raccoons until their kits are big enough to defend themselves. With respect to these three different modes of life prevalent among raccoons, Hohmann called their social structure

4508-695: The mythologies of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas surrounding the species. The raccoon is noted for its intelligence , and studies show that it is able to remember the solution to tasks for at least three years. It is usually nocturnal and omnivorous , eating about 40% invertebrates , 33% plants , and 27% vertebrates . The original habitats of the raccoon are deciduous and mixed forests , but due to their adaptability, they have extended their range to mountainous areas, coastal marshes , and urban areas , where some homeowners consider them to be pests . As

4606-469: The roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis , but none of the Brandenburgian population is known to have the parasite. In the Hessian region, there were an estimated 285 raccoons in 1956, which increased to over 20,000 in 1970; in 2008 there were between 200,000 and 400,000 raccoons in the whole of Germany. By 2012 it was estimated that Germany now had more than a million raccoons. The raccoon

4704-672: The tapetum lucidum behind the retina , visual perception is of subordinate importance to raccoons because of their poor long-distance vision. In addition to being useful for orientation in the dark, their sense of smell is important for intraspecific communication. Glandular secretions (usually from their anal glands ), urine and feces are used for marking. With their broad auditory range , they can perceive tones up to 50–85  kHz as well as quiet noises, like those produced by earthworms underground. Zoologist Clinton Hart Merriam described raccoons as "clever beasts", and that "in certain directions their cunning surpasses that of

4802-459: The 1950s and was facilitated by the introduction of infected individuals to Virginia and North Dakota in the late 1970s. Of the 6,940 documented rabies cases reported in the United States in 2006, 2,615 (37.7%) were in raccoons. The U.S. Department of Agriculture , as well as local authorities in several U.S. states and Canadian provinces, has developed oral vaccination programs to fight

4900-455: The 1990s by the ethologists Stanley D. Gehrt and Ulf Hohmann suggest that raccoons engage in sex-specific social behaviors and are not typically solitary, as was previously thought. Related females often live in a so-called " fission-fusion society "; that is, they share a common area and occasionally meet at feeding or resting grounds. Unrelated males often form loose male social groups to maintain their position against foreign males during

4998-616: The Bahamas raccoon, Guadeloupe raccoon and Tres Marias raccoon were classified as endangered by the IUCN in 1996. There is archeological evidence that in pre-Columbian times raccoons were numerous only along rivers and in the woodlands of the Southeastern United States . As raccoons were not mentioned in earlier reports of pioneers exploring the central and north-central parts of the United States, their initial spread may have begun

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5096-532: The Idaho/Montana state line), Orofino , and Potlatch . The North Fork Ranger Station & Visitor Center in Orofino is your one-stop-shop for information about the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests, as well as Dworshak Dam Visitor Center and Dworshak Reservoir, popular recreation sites just nine miles northwest of Orofino. The Clearwater National Forest is home to the well-known Jerry Johnson Hot Springs and

5194-618: The North American raccoon population is distemper , which can reach epidemic proportions and kill most of a local raccoon population. In areas with heavy vehicular traffic and extensive hunting, these factors can account for up to 90% of all deaths of adult raccoons. The most important natural predators of the raccoon are bobcats , coyotes , and great horned owls , the latter mainly preying on young raccoons but capable of killing adults in some cases. In Florida , they have been reported to fall victim to larger carnivores like American black bear and cougars and these species may also be

5292-543: The Procyonidae are often popularly viewed as smaller cousins of the bear family. This is apparent in their German name, Kleinbären (small bears), including the names of the species: a raccoon is called a Waschbär (washing bear, as it "washes" its food before eating), a coati is a Nasenbär (nose-bear), while a kinkajou is a Honigbär (honey-bear). Dutch follows suit, calling the animals wasbeer , neusbeer and rolstaartbeer (curl-tail bear) respectively. However, it

5390-862: The adaptations for flesh-eating found in their carnivorous relatives. While they do have carnassial teeth, these are poorly developed in most species, especially the raccoons. Apart from the kinkajou, procyonids have the dental formula : 3.1.4.2 3.1.4.2 for a total of 40 teeth. The kinkajou has one fewer premolar in each row: 3.1.3.2 3.1.3.2 for a total of 36 teeth. Most members of Procyonidae are solitary; however, some species form groups. Coati females will form bands of 4 to 24 individuals that forage together, while kinkajous have been found to form social groups of two males and one female. Certain procyonids give birth to one offspring like ringtails, olingos, and kinkajous while raccoons and coatis give birth to litters that range in size from 2 to 6 offspring. Procyonid fossils once believed to belong to

5488-427: The aggressive behavior seen in infected canids; rabid raccoons will often retire to their dens instead. Organizations like the U.S. Forest Service encourage people to stay away from animals with unusual behavior or appearance, and to notify the proper authorities, such as an animal control officer from the local health department . Since healthy animals, especially nursing mothers, will occasionally forage during

5586-445: The agility of the hands of primates . There is no observed negative effect on tactile perception when a raccoon stands in water below 10 °C (50 °F) for hours. Raccoons are thought to be color blind or at least poorly able to distinguish color, though their eyes are well-adapted for sensing green light. Although their accommodation of 11 dioptre is comparable to that of humans and they see well in twilight because of

5684-678: The basis of similarities in morphology that are now known to be an example of parallel evolution ; similarly, coatis are shown as being most closely related to raccoons, when in fact they are closest to olingos. Below right is a cladogram showing the results of molecular studies as of 2013 . Genus Nasuella was not included in these studies, but in a separate study was found to nest within Nasua . Bassaricyon (olingos and olinguito) Nasua and Nasuella (coatis) Procyon (raccoons) Bassariscus (ringtail and cacomistle) Potos (kinkajou) Several recent molecular studies have resolved

5782-413: The bushy tail which can measure between 20 and 40 cm (7.9 and 15.7 in), but is usually not much longer than 25 cm (9.8 in). The shoulder height is between 23 and 30 cm (9.1 and 11.8 in). The body weight of an adult raccoon varies considerably with habitat , making the raccoon one of the most variably sized mammals. It can range from 2 to 26 kg (4.4 to 57.3 lb), but

5880-522: The center of its distribution was probably in Central America. Coatis ( Nasua and Nasuella ) and raccoons ( Procyon ) have been considered to share common descent from a species in the genus Paranasua present between 5.2 and 6.0 million years ago. This assumption, based on morphological comparisons of fossils, conflicts with a 2006 genetic analysis which indicates raccoons are more closely related to ringtails . Unlike other procyonids, such as

5978-511: The country. Due to its adaptability, the raccoon has been able to use urban areas as a habitat. The first sightings were recorded in a suburb of Cincinnati in the 1920s. Since the 1950s, raccoons have been present in metropolitan areas like Washington, DC , Chicago , Toronto , and New York City. Since the 1960s, Kassel has hosted Europe's first and densest population in a large urban area, with about 50 to 150 animals per square kilometer (130 to 390 animals per square mile),

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6076-518: The day, daylight activity is not a reliable indicator of illness in raccoons. Unlike rabies and at least a dozen other pathogens carried by raccoons, distemper , an epizootic virus, does not affect humans. This disease is the most frequent natural cause of death in the North American raccoon population and affects individuals of all age groups. For example, 94 of 145 raccoons died during an outbreak in Clifton, Ohio , in 1968. It may occur along with

6174-535: The eastern raccoon ( Procyon lotor lotor ) and the Upper Mississippi Valley raccoon ( Procyon lotor hirtus ). Both share a comparatively dark coat with long hairs, but the Upper Mississippi Valley raccoon is larger than the eastern raccoon. The eastern raccoon occurs in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces to the north of South Carolina and Tennessee . The adjacent range of the Upper Mississippi Valley raccoon covers all U.S. states and Canadian provinces to

6272-423: The facial expression and posture of other members of their species more quickly because of the conspicuous facial coloration and the alternating light and dark rings on the tail. The dark mask may also reduce glare and thus enhance night vision . On other parts of the body, the long and stiff guard hairs , which shed moisture, are usually colored in shades of gray and, to a lesser extent, brown. Raccoons with

6370-480: The fall, after their mother has shown them dens and feeding grounds, the juvenile group splits up. While many females will stay close to the home range of their mother, males can sometimes move more than 20 km (12 mi) away. This is considered an instinctive behavior, preventing inbreeding . However, mother and offspring may share a den during the first winter in cold areas. Captive raccoons have been known to live for more than 20 years. However,

6468-523: The first known members of the family Procyonidae lived in Europe in the late Oligocene about 25 million years ago. Similar tooth and skull structures suggest procyonids and weasels share a common ancestor, but molecular analysis indicates a closer relationship between raccoons and bears. After the then-existing species crossed the Bering Strait at least six million years later in the early Miocene ,

6566-694: The formerly isolated South America as part of the Great American Interchange , beginning about 7.3  Ma ago in the late Miocene, with the appearance of Cyonasua . Some fossil procyonids such as Stromeriella were also present in the Old World, before going extinct in the Pliocene. Genetic studies have shown that kinkajous are a sister group to all other extant procyonids; they split off about 22.6 Ma ago. The clades leading to coatis and olingos on one branch, and to ringtails and raccoons on

6664-468: The fox". The animal's intelligence gave rise to the epithet "sly coon". Only a few studies have been undertaken to determine the mental abilities of raccoons, most of them based on the animal's sense of touch. In a study by the ethologist H. B. Davis in 1908, raccoons were able to open 11 of 13 complex locks in fewer than 10 tries and had no problems repeating the action when the locks were rearranged or turned upside down. Davis concluded that they understood

6762-443: The general behavior patterns of raccoons, Gehrt points out that "typically you'll find 10 to 15 percent that will do the opposite" of what is expected. Though usually nocturnal, the raccoon is sometimes active in daylight to take advantage of available food sources. Its diet consists of about 40% invertebrates , 33% plant material and 27% vertebrates . Since its diet consists of such a variety of different foods, Zeveloff argues

6860-455: The genus Bassariscus , which includes the modern ringtail and cacomistle, have been identified from the Miocene epoch, around 20 million years ( Ma ) ago. It has been suggested that early procyonids were an offshoot of the canids that adapted to a more omnivorous diet. The recent evolution of procyonids has been centered on Central America (where their diversity is greatest); they entered

6958-456: The home ranges of adjacent groups overlap, they are most likely not actively defended outside the mating season if food supplies are sufficient. Odor marks on prominent spots are assumed to establish home ranges and identify individuals. Urine and feces left at shared raccoon latrines may provide additional information about feeding grounds, since raccoons were observed to meet there later for collective eating, sleeping and playing. Concerning

7056-409: The largest size recorded for a procyonid. The most characteristic physical feature of the raccoon is the area of black fur around the eyes, which contrasts sharply with the surrounding white face coloring. This is reminiscent of a " bandit's mask " and has thus enhanced the animal's reputation for mischief. The slightly rounded ears are also bordered by white fur. Raccoons are assumed to recognize

7154-605: The mating seasons from 1990 to 1992, about one third of all females mated with more than one male. If a female does not become pregnant or if she loses her kits early, she will sometimes become fertile again 80 to 140 days later. After usually 63 to 65 days of gestation (although anywhere from 54 to 70 days is possible), a litter of typically two to five young is born. The average litter size varies widely with habitat, ranging from 2.5 in Alabama to 4.8 in North Dakota . Larger litters are more common in areas with

7252-413: The members of the expedition of Christopher Columbus , who were the first Europeans to leave a written record about the species, taxonomists thought the raccoon was related to many different species, including dogs , cats , badgers and particularly bears . Carl Linnaeus , the father of modern taxonomy, placed the raccoon in the genus Ursus , first as Ursus cauda elongata ('long-tailed bear') in

7350-506: The next quarter-century: during the 2015–2016 hunting season, 128,100 raccoons were hunted, 60 percent of them in the state of Hesse . Experiments in acclimatising raccoons into the Soviet Union began in 1936, and were repeated a further 25 times until 1962. Overall, 1,222 individuals were released, 64 of which came from zoos and fur farms (38 of them having been imports from western Europe). The remainder originated from

7448-769: The north of Louisiana , Texas , and New Mexico . The taxonomic identity of feral raccoons inhabiting Central Europe, Causasia and Japan is unknown, as the founding populations consisted of uncategorized specimens from zoos and fur farms. brachyurus (Wiegmann, 1837) fusca (Burmeister, 1850) gularis (C. E. H. Smith, 1848) melanus (J. E. Gray, 1864) obscurus (Wiegmann, 1837) rufescens (de Beaux, 1910) vulgaris (Tiedemann, 1808) dickeyi (Nelson and Goldman, 1931) mexicana (Baird, 1858) shufeldti (Nelson and Goldman, 1931) minor (Miller, 1911) varius (Nelson and Goldman, 1930) P. l. minor Head to hindquarters, raccoons measure between 40 and 70 cm (16 and 28 in), not including

7546-411: The other, separated about 17.7 Ma ago. The divergence between olingos and coatis is estimated to have occurred about 10.2 Ma ago, at about the same time that ringtails and raccoons parted ways. The separation between coatis and mountain coatis is estimated to have occurred 7.7 Ma ago. There has been considerable historical uncertainty over the correct classification of several members. The red panda

7644-455: The paws. However, the behavior observed in captive raccoons in which they carry their food to water to "wash" or douse it before eating has not been observed in the wild. Naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon , believed that raccoons do not have adequate saliva production to moisten food thereby necessitating dousing, but this hypothesis is now considered to be incorrect. Captive raccoons douse their food more frequently when

7742-784: The phylogenetic relationships between the procyonids, as illustrated in the cladogram below. Potos flavus (kinkajou) Procyon cancrivorus (crab eating raccoon) Procyon lotor (common raccoon) [REDACTED] Procyon pygmaeus (Cozumel raccoon) Bassariscus sumichrasti (cacomistle) Bassariscus astutus (ringtail) Bassaricyon medius (western lowland olingo) [REDACTED] Bassaricyon alleni (eastern lowland olingo) [REDACTED] Bassaricyon gabbii (northern olingo) [REDACTED] Bassaricyon neblina (olinguito) [REDACTED] Nasua nasua (ring-tailed coati) Nasua narica (white-nosed coati) Nasuella olivacea (western mountain coati) Nasuella meridensis (eastern mountain coati) Below

7840-515: The raccoon "may well be one of the world's most omnivorous animals". While its diet in spring and early summer consists mostly of insects, worms, and other animals already available early in the year, it prefers fruits and nuts, such as acorns and walnuts , which emerge in late summer and autumn, and represent a rich calorie source for building up fat needed for winter. Contrary to popular belief, raccoons only occasionally eat active or large prey, such as birds and mammals . They prefer prey that

7938-428: The raccoon as an emblem, causing them to be pejoratively known as "coons" by their political opponents, who saw them as too sympathetic to African-Americans. Soon after that the term became an ethnic slur , especially in use between 1880 and 1920 (see coon song ), and the term is still considered offensive. Dogs bred to hunt raccoons are called coonhound and coon dog . In the first decades after its discovery by

8036-629: The raccoon is called the Waschbär (literally, 'wash-bear' or 'washing bear') due to its habit of "dousing" food in water – two pairs of pet raccoons were released into the German countryside at the Edersee reservoir in the north of Hesse in April ;1934 by a forester upon request of their owner, a poultry farmer. He released them two weeks before receiving permission from the Prussian hunting office to "enrich

8134-635: The raccoon is its sense of touch . The "hyper sensitive" front paws are protected by a thin horny layer that becomes pliable when wet. The five digits of the paws have no webbing between them, which is unusual for a carnivoran . Almost two-thirds of the area responsible for sensory perception in the raccoon's cerebral cortex is specialized for the interpretation of tactile impulses, more than in any other studied animal. They are able to identify objects before touching them with vibrissae located above their sharp, nonretractable claws . The raccoon's paws lack an opposable thumb ; thus, it does not have

8232-572: The raccoon's diet, lowland deciduous or mixed forests abundant with water and marshes sustain the highest population densities. While population densities range from 0.5 to 3.2 animals per square kilometer (1.3 to 8.3 animals per square mile) in prairies and do not usually exceed 6 animals per square kilometer (15.5 animals per square mile) in upland hardwood forests, more than 20 raccoons per square kilometer (51.8 animals per square mile) can live in lowland forests and marshes. Raccoons are common throughout North America from Canada to Panama , where

8330-468: The second edition of his Systema Naturae (1740), then as Ursus Lotor ('washer bear') in the tenth edition (1758–59) . In 1780, Gottlieb Conrad Christian Storr placed the raccoon in its own genus Procyon , which can be translated as either 'before the dog' or 'doglike'. It is also possible that Storr had its nocturnal lifestyle in mind and chose the star Procyon as eponym for the species. Based on fossil evidence from Russia and Bulgaria,

8428-458: The short initial learning phase. Stanislas Dehaene reports in his book The Number Sense that raccoons can distinguish boxes containing two or four grapes from those containing three. In research by Suzana Herculano-Houzel and other neuroscientists , raccoons have been found to be comparable to primates in density of neurons in the cerebral cortex , which they have proposed to be a neuroanatomical indicator of intelligence. Studies in

8526-524: The smaller Weir Creek Hot Springs. Both springs are accessible via trails from U.S. Highway 12 and are popular tourist attractions, drawing visitors from Idaho and western Montana. Lewis and Clark travelled through the region in their journey westward in 1805–1804. Upon reaching Lolo Pass at the eastern edge of the forest on September 15, 1805, William Clark was quoted as saying, From this mountain I could observe high rugged mountains in every direction as far as I could see. The Clearwater National Forest

8624-480: The species' life expectancy in the wild is only 1.8 to 3.1 years, depending on the local conditions such as traffic volume, hunting, and weather severity. It is not unusual for only half of the young born in one year to survive a full year. After this point, the annual mortality rate drops to between 10% and 30%. Young raccoons are vulnerable to losing their mother and to starvation, particularly in long and cold winters. The most frequent natural cause of death in

8722-407: The spread of the disease in endangered populations. Only one human fatality has been reported after transmission of the rabies virus strain commonly known as "raccoon rabies". Among the main symptoms for rabies in raccoons are a generally sickly appearance, impaired mobility, abnormal vocalization, and aggressiveness . There may be no visible signs at all, however, and most individuals do not show

8820-494: The subspecies Procyon lotor pumilus coexists with the crab-eating raccoon ( Procyon cancrivorus ). The population on Hispaniola was exterminated as early as 1513 by Spanish colonists who hunted them for their meat. Raccoons were also exterminated in Cuba and Jamaica , where the last sightings were reported in 1687. The Barbados raccoon became extinct relatively recently, in 1964. When they were still considered separate species,

8918-511: The success of the anime series Rascal the Raccoon (1977). In 2004, the descendants of discarded or escaped animals lived in 42 of 47  prefectures . The range of raccoons in the wild in Japan grew from 17 prefectures in 2000 to all 47 prefectures in 2008. It is estimated that raccoons cause thirty million yen (~$ 275,000) of agricultural damage on Hokkaido alone. In Germany – where

9016-410: The three- to four-day period when conception is possible. These encounters will often occur at central meeting places. Copulation , including foreplay, can last over an hour and is repeated over several nights. The weaker members of a male social group also are assumed to get the opportunity to mate, since the stronger ones cannot mate with all available females. In a study in southern Texas during

9114-603: The whole of the European Union . Though previously thought to be generally solitary, there is now evidence that raccoons engage in sex-specific social behavior . Related females often share a common area, while unrelated males live together in groups of up to four raccoons in order to maintain their positions against foreign males during the mating season and against other potential invaders. Home range sizes vary anywhere from 3 ha (7.4 acres) for females in cities, to 5,000 ha (12,000 acres) for males in prairies . After

9212-412: The wild, raccoons often dabble for underwater food near the shore-line. They then often pick up the food item with their front paws to examine it and rub the item, sometimes to remove unwanted parts. This gives the appearance of the raccoon "washing" the food. The tactile sensitivity of raccoons' paws is increased if this rubbing action is performed underwater, since the water softens the hard layer covering

9310-726: Was established on July 1, 1908, with 2,687,860 acres (10,877.4 km) from parts of Coeur d'Alene National Forest and Bitterroot National Forest . On October 31, 1934, part of Selway National Forest was added. A small part of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness lies within Clearwater National Forest, although the largest portion of the wilderness lies in either the neighboring Nez Perce National Forest , Bitterroot National Forest , or Lolo National Forest . Raccoon The raccoon ( / r ə ˈ k uː n / or US : / r æ ˈ k uː n / , Procyon lotor ), also spelled racoon and sometimes called

9408-549: Was named by Gottlieb Conrad Christian Storr . The animal's observed habit of "washing" or "dousing" (see below) is the source of its name in other languages. For example, the French "raton laveur" means "washing rat". The colloquial abbreviation coon is used in words like coonskin for fur clothing and in phrases like old coon as a self-designation of trappers . In the 1830s, the United States Whig Party used

9506-427: Was once a protected species in Germany, but has been declared a game animal in 14 of the 16  German states since 1954. Hunters and environmentalists argue the raccoon spreads uncontrollably, threatens protected bird species, and supersedes indigenous competitors. This view is opposed by the zoologist Frank-Uwe Michler, who finds no evidence that a high population density of raccoons leads to negative effects on

9604-601: Was previously classified in this family, but it is now classified in its own family, the Ailuridae , based on molecular biology studies. The status of the various olingos was disputed: some regarded them all as subspecies of Bassaricyon gabbii before DNA sequence data demonstrated otherwise. The traditional classification scheme shown below on the left predates the recent revolution in our understanding of procyonid phylogeny based on genetic sequence analysis. This outdated classification groups kinkajous and olingos together on

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