Raccoons

[00:00:00] Alex Re: Hello. Welcome to On Wildlife. I'm your host, Alex Re. On this podcast, we bring the wild to you. We take you on a journey into the life of a different animal every week, and I guarantee you you're going to come out of here knowing more about your favorite animal than you did before. Today, we're taking a closer look in our own backyards, if you live in North America.

[00:00:23] These animals have built in masks, move around at night, and can be found dumpster diving. So grab your night vision goggles and keep your wits about you, because we're heading out after dark to talk about raccoons.

[00:00:54] There are three species of raccoon, all belonging to the Procyon genus. The common raccoon is the one you'll see in your backyard. They have a mostly gray body with black patches around their eyes that make it look like they're wearing a mask. You'll also notice that they have black rings on their tails.

[00:01:12] They can be found all over the United States, in Central America, and in parts of Canada. The common raccoon is also the species that I'll be spending the most time talking about during the episode because we just have a lot more information on them than the other two. There's also the Cozumel raccoon, aka the pygmy raccoon, and the crab eating raccoon.

[00:01:36] And to find out more about these species, we can look at their scientific names. The Cozumel raccoon's scientific name is Procyon pygmaeus. That second word comes from the Greek word meaning small, and that's because they're smaller than common raccoons. They're only found in Cozumel, which is an island off the coast of Mexico.

[00:01:58] The crab eating raccoon's scientific name is Procyon cancivorus. This literally means, And these raccoons are found throughout South America. Early scientists thought that raccoons were actually the ancestors of dogs. Their genus name means before dog in Greek. But now we know that they're actually more closely related to weasels. Raccoons can weigh over 20 pounds and get to be around 2 feet in length, but their size really varies depending on the individual.

[00:02:34] In the wild, they have a lifespan of 2 3 years, and in captivity, they can live upwards of 20 years. In some places, raccoons are kept as pets. And it's actually legal to own them as pets in 16 states. But definitely don't go around trying to pick them up in the wild. As with any wild animal, they should be given their space.

[00:02:57] Raccoons like to live in sparsely wooded areas. They're pretty good climbers, and will climb trees when they feel threatened. And they tend to avoid areas with lots of beech trees. Beach trees are a specific kind of tree that have really smooth bark, and they're too smooth for raccoons to climb. You can also find raccoons in areas where people live, because they'll go after our leftovers.

[00:03:22] Speaking of, we'll talk about their diet right after the break.

[00:03:37] The science word that I want to tell you about today is peristalsis. Peristalsis is what helps move food through your digestive system. Your esophagus and intestines tighten up and then relax to keep that food moving.

[00:04:08] Okay, we're back. Raccoons are omnivorous, meaning that they eat both plant and animal matter. They'll basically eat whatever they can get their hands on. But most of their natural diet is composed of invertebrates like grubs, small vertebrates like frogs, and fruits. Surprisingly, they hunt near the water often, capitalizing on easy to catch crawfish and other small aquatic species.

[00:04:35] And they're great swimmers because of this. But we can't talk about their diet without mentioning their relationship with us. Raccoons are highly adapted to interacting with humans. They even get their nickname, Trash Panda, because they're constantly rummaging through human garbage. Another reason they have this name is because of the black pattern on their eyes that I talked about earlier.

[00:05:00] It's thought that the dark masks help them avoid glare from the sun or any reflections of light. Now, they don't have the best eyesight. They're thought to be colorblind too, but they really don't need to see color based on when they're most active. Raccoons are nocturnal, meaning that they're most active at night.

[00:05:21] The main reason for this is that it's easier to hide from predators, like hawks and coyotes, when it's dark outside. You may have been told that if you see a raccoon out during the day, it's sick. And while it's a lot more uncommon to see them out in broad daylight, it doesn't necessarily mean that they have a disease.

[00:05:40] Sometimes it just means that they're hungry, looking for something else to eat. That still doesn't mean you should approach them. You don't want to take any chances. And what raccoons lack in eyesight, they make up for in their strong sense of smell. This is really helpful when rummaging for food. Their strong sense of smell also aids in memory and recognizing places that they've previously visited.

[00:06:06] Have you ever walked into a room and a certain smell made you think of a person or a place that you've been to? Well, it doesn't just happen to us. Studies on raccoon memory have determined that they can remember solutions to tasks for three years. This coincides with their incredible adaptability and problem solving abilities.

[00:06:27] Raccoons are also regarded as extremely intelligent in Native American cultures. In some intelligence tests, they score similarly to monkeys. They've also been seen to have a high emotional intelligence. What's really interesting is that raccoons that live in urban areas like cities are much better at solving problems than raccoons that live in rural areas that are less populated by people.

[00:06:55] They're also known for their dexterity and unique front paws. They have five fingers on each foot with non retractable claws. And their fingers work pretty much just like ours, so they can pick things up with ease and can even open doors. They can also rotate their hind feet 180 degrees, which helps with mobility, especially when they're climbing.

[00:07:20] And raccoons hind legs are longer than their front legs. This gives them a hunched appearance. Now, you might be asking yourself, where do they go when they're not searching through our trash cans? They like to sleep in dens that they make for themselves. They often use hollow trees and openings in rocks.

[00:07:40] They use these dens most often during the winter months and during mating season, when the females need to take care of their offspring. When close to humans, they've also been known to den in buildings. Thanks. Raccoons don't hibernate, but they do go into periods of dormancy to preserve energy and resources.

[00:08:00] This period is called torpor. During this time, the raccoon may stay in the den for weeks without eating. They also have a pretty good sense of hearing, and sometimes use sound to communicate with each other and other animals. You might recognize their hissing sound when they feel threatened. This is a way to scare off predators.

[00:08:24] They're also able to growl, snort, and chirp.

[00:08:32] We'll talk about more of their behaviors right after the break. Time for today's trivia question. On what continent can you only find a Komodo dragon, an orangutan, and a king cobra? The answer is Asia.

[00:09:18] Breeding season for raccoons can begin anywhere from January to June, and it's triggered by the increasing length of daytime hours. Because they have such a short lifespan in the wild, females usually begin producing offspring as early as a year old. They have one litter every year, ranging anywhere from one to seven kits, which are baby raccoons.

[00:09:42] They're also polyandrous, meaning that one female will mate with multiple males. The kits stay with their mom for up to 16 weeks, and the males don't help to raise their young at all. Kids are born without sight or hearing for the first two weeks of their life, and after their ears open, they become much more vocal.

[00:10:04] They start eating solid food by weeks seven to nine. And when they get older, females usually stay around the home site, while males tend to wander further away. This is actually thought to be a natural defense system against inbreeding. Originally, raccoons were thought to be solitary animals, but new research has shown that they congregate in specific groups based on their sex.

[00:10:30] The females meet in what's called a fusion fission society, meaning that they come together at a common area for feeding or rest. This provides protection and teamwork in areas where it benefits them to be together. Males form small groups during mating season to help ward off outside males from coming in to mate with their females.

[00:10:53] Now, even though it might not seem like it, raccoons play an important role in the ecosystems that they live in and the areas that we live in. First of all, they eat a lot of the animals that we consider to be pests, so they can help keep those populations down. They also like to eat a lot of fruit, so they're great at seed dispersing throughout the environment.

[00:11:17] And they have a really unique relationship with humans that's just beginning to be understood. So they can actually help us learn a lot about animals in general. They're a prime example of adaptation to an environment that they did not evolve in. They're thriving in areas where most other animals can't.

[00:11:37] Raccoons are one of the few species we have that are remaining stable while seeing tremendous habitat loss due to human activity. They may give us a chance to observe how the long term effects of these changes will impact them and the environment in years to come. Two out of the three species of raccoon are labeled by the IUCN Red List as of least concern, which is a good thing.

[00:12:02] But unfortunately, the Cozumel raccoon is critically endangered. This is likely due to being only native to one island with little escape from habitat destruction or resource limitation. They're also a smaller species of raccoon that's more easily preyed upon. Most raccoon death rates in general are attributed to starvation and roadkill.

[00:12:26] Unfortunately, raccoons are one of the most common animals to be hit by cars. However, another major killer is distemper disease, which is easily spread. It can be spread to domestic dogs, too, and it's the reason that vaccination is recommended for all domestic animals that go outside in a yard. Raccoons are also the highest spreader of rabies in the United States.

[00:12:52] Rabies is a viral disease which causes excess salivation, like foaming at the mouth, and hallucinations. These drive the infected individuals to bite others, which is how the disease is spread. Humans can also get rabies, which is why it's so important to be careful when interacting with wild animals. To help reduce this problem, people have started using bait for raccoons that's laden with the vaccine.

[00:13:20] Although raccoons are doing okay, it's still really important to work to save the environments that they live in. That's why you should check out these organizations. Four Paws U. S., National Wildlife Federation, and Mexico's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

[00:13:39] Thank you so much for coming on this adventure with me as we explored the world of raccoons. You can find the sources that we use for this podcast and links to organizations that we reference at onwildlife. org. You can also email us with any questions at onwildlife. podcast at gmail. com. And you could follow us on Instagram at on underscore wildlife or on TikTok at on wildlife. And don't forget to tune in next month for another awesome episode. And that's On Wildlife.

[00:14:17] Jess Avellino: You've been listening to On Wildlife with Alex Re. On Wildlife provides general educational information on various topics as a public service, which should not be construed as professional, financial, real estate, tax, or legal advice. These are our personal opinions only. Please refer to our full disclaimer policy on our website for full details.