RACCOON

North American raccoon (Procyon lotor) also called Ringtail, any of two to seven species (depending on the authority) of small, nocturnal carnivores constituting the genus Procyon (family Procyonidae) and characterized by bushy, ringed tails. The typical North American raccoon, or coon (Procyon lotor; see photograph), is a stout animal with short legs, pointed muzzle, and small, erect ears. It is 75 to 90 cm (30 to 36 inches) long, including the 25-centimetre tail, and usually weighs about 10 kg (22 pounds), although a large male may weigh more than 20 kg. The raccoon's fur is shaggy and coarse, and its colour is iron-gray to blackish with brown overtones; there is a conspicuous and well-known black mask across the eyes, and the tail is ringed with 5 to 10 black bands. The feet are small, and the forefeet, especially, resemble slender human hands. The raccoon is an intelligent, methodical, and inquisitive animal. It prefers woods near water, but it adapts well to human presence and is even found in large cities. It ranges from northern Alberta, throughout most of the United States, and into South America. The raccoon is nocturnal and omnivorous, feeding on a variety of arthropods, rodents, frogs, berries, fruit, and other plant materials. Especially in captivity, it is prone to wash its food before eating if water is available. It climbs readily and usually chooses a den in a hollow tree. In very cold weather it sleeps for extended periods, but it does not hibernate in the sense of becoming torpid. A litter contains one to six (usually three or four) young, born after a gestation period of 6073 days. The female is highly solicitous of her young and cares for them for about a year, even though the young begin hunting food and are weaned when about two months old. Because of its fondness for eggs, nestlings, corn, and melons, the raccoon is a nuisance in some areas. It is hunted (often with hounds) and trapped for its fur and flesh. When cornered, full-grown raccoons are savage fighters, ripping and slashing with claws and teeth; few dogs can successfully attack an adult. In water, a raccoon may drown its adversary. The large crab-eating raccoon (P. cancrivorus), a related species, inhabits South America as far south as northern Argentina. It resembles the North American species but has shorter, coarser fur.