Raccoon Facts and Pictures

A raccoon (or racoon) is any one of three species of nocturnal mammal which constitute the genus Procyon of the Procyonidae family. The most widespread species, the Common Raccoon (P. lotor), is often known simply as the raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are considerably lesser-known. Genetic studies have shown that the closest relatives of the racoon are the ringtails and cacomistles.

Raccoons are unusual, for their thumbs (though not opposable) enable them to open many closed containers (such as garbage cans and doors). They are omnivores with a reputation for being clever and mischievous; their intelligence and dexterity equip them to survive in a wide range of environments and are one of the few medium-to-large-sized animals that have enlarged its range since human encroachment began (another is the coyote). Raccoon hindfeet are plantigrade similar to a human's. Raccoons are sometimes considered vermin or a nuisance, and are common in campgrounds of North America, especially in the Midwest. Many people are surprised when a creature that they usually think of as cute or cuddly raids their campsite at night and makes odd growls and fights viciously over scraps of food left out by campers.

Although there is some variation depending on the species in question, raccoons range from 20-40 inches in length (including the tail) and weigh between 10 and 35 lbs. The raccoon's tail ranges from 8 to 16 inches in length. Male raccoons are generally larger than females. A baby raccoon is called a kit.
 

Raccoon Video

There are three species of raccoon. The most widespread is the Common Raccoon, also known as the Northern Raccoon, which has a natural range of Southern Canada to Southern Mexico and has been introduced to Continental Europe. Raccoons can live in the city or in the wild, and while they are not domesticated they are on rare occasion kept as pets.

The two rarer species are the Tres Marias Raccoon (P. insularis), native to the Tres Marías islands off the Pacific Coast of Mexico, and the Crab-eating Raccoon (P. cancrivorus) of tropical Central and South America.

Some raccoons once considered separate species are now thought to be the same as or subspecies of the common raccoon, including the Barbados Raccoon (P. gloveralleni), Nassau Raccoon (P. maynardi), Guadeloupe Raccoon (P. minor), and Cozumel Island Raccoon (P. pygmaeus) (Helgen and Wilson 2005).