All About Raccoons

The Raccoon is a furry animal that has a bushy ringed tail and a black band of fur around it's eyes. The black hair looks like a mask. Raccoons which are often called coons are related to pandas, ringtails and coatis.
Raccoons live in both North and South America, including Canada.
The raccoon measures from 76-89 cm long, including it's tail. It weighs about 8-13 kgs. Most males are larger than the females. The raccoon has long course hair that
is generaly grey in colour but sometimes tinged yellow and brown.
Most raccoons tails are 30cms long and usally have 5-7 rings.
Raccoons have strong sharp claws, which help them climb trees, Both of the main speices have
a pointed snout and long flexible fingers.
Raccoons live both in the ground and in trees. They live alone or in small family groups. Each raccoon has a home range. Most raccoons
that have good habitats have home ranges of about 200 acres. Adult male raccoons may roam up to
3.2 kilometers(2 miles) in some habitats. Within it's home range the raccoon mates , locates its home and searches for food.

Raccoons usally hunt for it's food at night and stay in their dens during the day.
They walk like bears with all four flat feet on the ground, and are brilliant swimmers.
Raccoons in captivity live about 10-12 yrs, but the ones in the wild usally live for about 5.
The raccoon eats a variety off foods. Both northen and crab eating raccoons eat crabs, they also eat crayfish, frogs, fish, acorns, birds eggs, corn,
nuts seeds and small land animals such as grasshoppers and mice.

Raccoons in the Northen United States and South America remain active the
whole year round. In colder areas of the northen united States and Canada
raccoons sleep for long periods during the winter, but they do not hibernate. During real hibernation the animals heart
decreases greatly.
Northen Raccoons mate once a year between January and June. about nine weeks after
mating, the female has from one to seven baby raccoons!!
Newborn raccoons do not have a mask around their eyes or rigs around their tail.
Newborns eyes don't open for about 20 days. The mother raccoon care fully protects her young and
does not even let the father near them!

The babies stay in the den for about 8-10 weeks. Then they begin to follow
their mother whenever she searches for food. The mother teaches the young to protect
and feed themselves. They may stay with her till the begining of winter then they find
their own dens.