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Sterf Animals Common Raccoon (Procyon Lotor) Classification Kingdom: Animalia (Animals) Phylum: Chordata (Animals with a Spinal Cord) Class: Mammalia (Mammals) Order: Carnivora (Carnivores) Family: Procyonidae (Raccoon Family) Genus: Procyon (Raccoon) Species: Procyon Lotor (Common Raccoon) Return to... On the Deck - Animals - DJ Sterf.Net |
Raccoons are extremely sneaky and clever critters, about 6 times the
size of squirrels. Whether trash bags, bananas, or meat, if you
leave an opportunity open for a raccoon to get at it, he WILL get at
it. Normally, birds and squirrels, if afraid, will flee for their
lives. Raccoons hide under a shelter and look back to see if
there is a real threat. If there isn't, the raccoon will slowly
crawl out from the shelter and walk slowly toward the 'threat'.
If nothing is wrong, the coon will calmly go back to what he was
doing...which is probably either eating or sleeping. They are
nocturnal animals (only come out at night), and rarely come out during
the daylight hours without urgent need. Raccoons were originally considered Bears until debate ensued about their unique features, such as how they wash food. The original name given to raccoons was 'Ursa Lotor', meaning 'Washing Bear' (Latin words 'lotor' = washing, 'ursa' = bear). Today, the Raccoon is classified somewhat differently...and in their own genus (Procyon, which means 'before the dog' in Latin). |
Raccoons
have an average of one litter per year, usually born in early to
mid-June. A mother raccoon living in our backyard just had 3
babies.
Their tails are much larger in proportion to their bodies than the
adults'. A medium-sized raccoon is about 3 feet long, with a tail
of
about 10 inches long. He would weigh about 15 pounds and live to
about
2.5 years old in the wild and up to 7 years if an anomaly. The
skin
underneath a raccoon's fur is pigmented, and the fur is colored
according to the skin color of the raccoon. Raccoons are
sometimes
called 'bandits' for their masked appearance. The only thing is,
though, that raccoons ARE bandits if you leave something out for them
to see! These animals are extremely cute, but they will eat you out of house and home if you take full care of them! They are full scavengers and omnivores...not just carnivores. They will eat just about anything you put out for them, and they especially love bananas, corn outside of the general meat category. More of the raccoon's diet consists of fruits, plants, and nuts (rather than meats). |
Watch out
for Raccoons, though. They are very defensive of their area and
property, as well as things that they see and want. They're
basically
spoiled critters. Rabies and distemper are two huge diseases that
raccoons can harm other animals and humans with through bites, and
raccoons also can leave worms around where they have been.
Raccoons
typically carry rabies longer than most animals, but they usually die
within about 10 days of their infection. If a raccoon is out
during
the day, watch out. Keep distance and contact animal control if
necessary. It's better to be safe than extremely sorry and need
immediate shots from the Emergency Room! Return to... On the Deck
- Animals
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