The Backyard Friends is an ongoing YouTube and blog series about animal pals that you might find in your backyard. No matter where we are, we are a part of the nature, not apart from it.
Printable Colouring Sheet!
To download:
- Right click on the image.
- Click “Save image as…” and save in the desired folder.
- Print colouring sheet (designed to fit on standard printer paper).
- Colour away!
- If you want, share your drawing on Instagram and tag me (@taylor.theyellowbird)!
Fast Facts:
Scientific Name: Procyon lotor
Common names: Northern Raccoon*, North American Raccoon, ‘Coon, Trash Panda (online).
*Note: Can be spelled as “raccoon” (Canada, United States) or “racoon” (United Kingdom, sometimes).*
Conservation Status: Least Concern (population increasing globally)
Habitat: Raccoons live in many different habitats, both natural and man-made (1):
- Urban areas
- Temperate forests
- Tropical forests
- Mangroves
- Swamps
- Pastureland
Raccoons are frequently found near water, whether along streams or shorelines. Dens are built under logs or rocks, in trees, or in the ground. In urban environments raccoons may den in attics, under porches, or in abandoned buildings.
Diet: Omnivorous
- In terms of meat, raccoons prefer crayfish, but will also eat muskrats, squirrels, rabbits, waterfowl, frogs, turtles, fish, eggs and clams. They also eat arthropods such as earthworms and beetles, and are known to raid garbage bins and the nests of hornets, bumblebees, termites and ants for larva. Their thick fall/winter fur protects them from bee and hornet stings.
- In the summer raccoons also eat berries and fruits including wild cherries, grapes, strawberries, gooseberries and elderberries. Raccoons are also fond of vegetables grown in gardens, particularly potatoes.
- When available, corn becomes a key part of the fall diet of raccoons. Acorns, beechnuts, and hazelnuts are also eaten.
Predators: Humans are the raccoons’ major predator, killing between two and four million raccoons annually in North America. Raccoon fur has been prized for centuries by both Indigenous and European cultures.
Other predators include bobcats, pumas, coyotes, foxes, dogs, wolves and great horned owls, but these are a minor source of mortality.
Image: Puma, also known a s a cougar or mountain lion (Taylor Holmes/2020)
Behaviours:
- When food is limited, raccoons become dormant. This is not hibernation. In hibernation, heart rate and metabolism slow, and temperature drops. In dormancy, this does not happen, but raccoons are less active and sleep more. Raccoons may become dormant for anywhere from a few days during cold snaps up to six months in colder climates. During the summer and autumn, raccoons can more than double their spring time weight, building up fat stores to help them survive the winter.
- Mating happens in the late winter or early spring depending on the climate. After a gestation period of 60-73 days, the female will typically give birth to 3-4 cubs. Raccoon mothers are very involved, and care for their young for about a year.
- Raccoons are one of the only animals that is capable of fully rehabilitating and adjusting to living in the wild after being kept as a family pet (3).
- Raccoons are proficient swimmers and are often found near water.
Watch the Backyard Friend Video!
General Overview
Raccoons are medium-sized, nocturnal mammals found throughout much of North America, easily recognized by their distinctive black “masks” around their eyes, and their bushy tail with between five and ten black rings. Procyon lotor, or the North American raccoon, is the most widespread and well-known species, often found in cities and suburbs raiding garbage bins and stealing dog food.
Raccoons are part of a family of Carnivores called Procyonidae, which also include olingos, cacomistles and kinkajous. There are seven known species of raccoon, though some sources say these are subspecies of the Northern raccoon (P. lotor). One, the Barbados raccoon went extinct in 1964, and the Cozumel raccoon classified as critically endangered. Briefly, the other known raccoon species are as follows:
- Procyon cancrivorus – the crab-eating raccoon (South American as far south as Argentina).
- Procyon gloveralleni – the Barbados raccoon (Barbados)
- Procyon insularis – the Tres Marías raccoon (Islas Marías, Mexico)
- Procyon maynardii – the Bahaman raccoon (New Providence Island, The Bahamas)
- Procyon minor – the Guadeloupe raccoon (Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre Islands, Guadeloupe)
- Procyon pygmaeus – the Cozumel or Pygmy raccoon (Cozumel Island, Mexico)
Washing Bears
Raccoons also have dextrous hands, which they can use to grab and manipulate objects. They are often seen “washing” food underwater with their hands, so much so that the word for raccoon in several languages mentions washing (“washing bear” in Japanese, German and the Scandinavian languages, “washing rat” in French). However, raccoons are not truly washing their food. Instead, a raccoon’s sense of touch improves underwater, so they handle food underwater in order to inspect better before eating.
Intelligent Animals
These mammals are one of the most intelligent animals found in North American backyards, and are considered to and are great at problem-solving (or problem-creating, depending on one’s perspective). Furthermore, when people create barriers to food or other resources raccoons need it actually encourages these curious creatures to figure out a solution, and they can remember the solution for years. We make smarter raccoons!
Fur Trade
The North American raccoon has been valued for its fur for centuries, and has also been introduced to Europe and Asia to be hunted for fur. North American First Nations from coast to coast trapped and hunted raccoons for their fur, which was made into garments or traded.
Europeans also took an interest in the raccoon, and it was particularly popular in the late 19th and early 20th century. This interest in raccoon fur led to their introduction in Europe to be hunted. They have since become a nuisance in many of these countries.
Today raccoons can be found in: Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Raccoons have also been introduced to Japan in the 1970s, but not for their fur. To learn more, watch this short video.
Species Highlight: The Pygmy Raccoon (Procyon pygmaeus)
Common Names: Pygmy raccoon, Cozumel raccoon
Range: Cozumel Island, off the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula
Conservation Status: Critically Endangered (192 mature individuals)
Habitat: Tropical forests, mangroves and agricultural land.
Diet: Crabs, fruits, insects, crayfish and other small vertebrates.
Predators: Boa constrictors, feral and domestic dogs.
Threats:
- Habitat Loss & Fragmentation: Cozumel Island has been developed for tourism in recent years. Coastal habitat is crucial for this species of raccoon, which is where most tourist development is taking place. The island interior, which is still relatively undeveloped, is largely absent of raccoons. Additionally, expanding and widening road systems is cutting up and fragmenting the Pygmy raccoons’ remaining habitats. Most cases of mortality documented since 2001 have been the result of road collisions.
- Invasive species: Boa constrictors, and domestic and feral dogs also impact Pygmy raccoon populations on Cozumel Island. Furthermore, introduced carnivores could introduce new diseases and pathogens and parasites.
- Hurricanes: The main natural threat on Cozumel Island are hurricanes, which also cause drastic population declines amongst Pygmy raccoons. There is also an increase in the frequency, magnitude and duration of hurricanes in the Caribbean, further putting Pygmy raccoon populations at risk.
Glossary
Critically Endangered: Refers to a living organism that is at high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.
Dextrous: The ability to use hands skillfully. In raccoons this means they are able to grab objects and manipulate them with their hands.
Dormancy: A period of reduced activity experienced by raccoons when food is less readily available. Unlike hibernation, heart rate, metabolism, and body temperature remain unchanged.
Mangrove: A type of tree and which makes up a type of coastal forest found in the tropics. These trees have root systems that are partially underwater and partially above-ground.
Omnivorous: An animal that eats both plant and animal matter.
Citations
- “Procyon lotor.” (2016). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Accessed on 07 July 2024. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41686/45216638
- Lariviere, S. (2024). “Raccoon”. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/animal/raccoon
- “Raccoon.” (N.D.). Hinterland Who’s Who. https://www.hww.ca/en/wildlife/mammals/raccoon.html
- Churcher, C., & Rossit, T. (2023). “Raccoon”. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/raccoon
- Sturgeon, N. (2017). “The 3 smartest animals found in your backyard. “ CBC News . Retrieved from. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/smartest-animals-backyard-1.4163839
- “Procyon pygmaeus.” (2016). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Accessed via https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18267/45201913
- Fox, R. (2001). “Procyon lotor” (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed August 05, 2024 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Procyon_lotor/
