An intelligent, nocturnal animal with a reputation for being clever, sly, and mischievous. Raccoons have a stout, grey-black body, bushy, ringed tail, short legs, pointed muzzle, pointed ears, and a black mask on the face. Raccoons weigh between 20 and 35 lbs. and prefer living in hollow trees near the water. Their small, human-like hands and feet have thumbs, which allow them to open many closed containers, such as garbage cans and doors.
Forest, Wetland, Urban
Raccoons are found across southern Canada, throughout most of the United States, and into northern South America.
Abundant
Nocturnal
Raccoons are omnivorous and opportunistic. In some habitats plants provide a larger percentage of a raccoon's diet than animals do. Plant foods vary from fruits to nuts, including wild grapes, cherries, apples, persimmons, berries, and acorns.
Raccoons are nocturnal and seldom active in the daytime. During extremely cold, snowy periods raccoons have been observed sleeping for long periods at a time, but do not hibernate. Their metabolic rate and temperatures remain constant during these times and they live off of their fat reserves, potentially losing as much as 50% of their body weight. Primarily a solitary animal, the only real social groups raccoons form are that of mother and young.
Least Concern
