10 Intriguing Facts About Raccoons

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are adorable, harmless, omnivorous mammals with gray fur and distinctive black masks. Although native to North America, raccoons can also be found in parts of Europe and Japan. They are the largest members of the Procyonidae family and are easily recognized by the unique 4-7 black rings around their tails.
Interested in learning more about raccoons? Here is a brief guide to help you understand their lifestyle and discover some hidden facts that make them unique among mammals.
10 Intriguing Facts About Raccoons
1: Raccoons Are Highly Intelligent and Inquisitive Animals
Like humans, raccoons exhibit varying intelligence quotients (IQs); some can solve puzzles more quickly than others. Those with higher intelligence have more glial cells that support stronger brain functioning. Their experiences shape their intelligence and problem-solving skills, and they can remember solutions for at least three years.
Raccoons are naturally inquisitive and open to new experiences. They can perform certain activities that humans can do, such as opening containers, and they employ creative methods to access food. As skilled scavengers and problem solvers, raccoons are also known for their resourcefulness. According to a study, they can even throw stones to knock food from trees, demonstrating their impressive adaptability and ingenuity.
2: Raccoons Are Very Handy
One of the facts about raccoons is that they have finger-like toes, with five on both their front and back paws. These paws, with five opposable appendages, resemble and function similarly to human hands, enabling them to grasp and open almost anything. This anatomical feature allows raccoons to easily manipulate latches, lids, jars, boxes, and doorknobs. Furthermore, the flexibility of their toes aids in their mobility and ability to access food from various sources, such as opening garbage cans to scavenge for food.
3: Raccoons Carry Diseases and Parasites
Raccoons can carry dangerous, life-threatening diseases that pose risks to both people and pets. Raccoon bites can cause severe injuries and transmit diseases such as rabies, tetanus, and bacterial infections.
Furthermore, raccoon feces can contain roundworm eggs, which become infectious in 2-4 weeks and can remain in the soil. These eggs can spread to humans through various means. If you accidentally swallow or inhale these infectious eggs, the larvae can hatch and migrate to various body organs, leading to serious infections and diseases.
Common diseases spread by raccoons include raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris infection), leptospirosis, salmonellosis, rabies, and giardiasis.
4: Raccoons Are Nocturnal Animals
Raccoons are primarily nocturnal animals, most active at night. This characteristic helps them evade predators. However, they may also come out during the day to search for food, evade threats to their sleep, or if they face competition from other animals at night.
5: They Are Known For Their Opportunistic Eating Habits
Raccoons, being omnivores, consume both plant and animal matter. They are often described as “opportunistic eaters” because they can eat almost anything available when they are hungry. This adaptability benefits raccoons by enabling them to consume a wide range of foods.
Typically, raccoons feed on garbage, agricultural crops, chicken coops, and pet food left outside. Their highly varied diet includes fleshy fruits, nuts such as acorns and hickory nuts, grains, invertebrates like crayfish and insects, rodents, young rabbits, birds, turtles and their eggs, fish, and carrion.
6: The Mask-Like Markings on Raccoons Help Improve Their Night Vision
Raccoons are also nicknamed “masked bandits” due to their black mask-like markings, which resemble the black fur around a giant panda’s eyes. This distinctive black mask is not just for show; it enhances their night vision and reduces glare, aiding their nocturnal lifestyle.
7: The Average Lifespan of Wild Raccoons in Captivity Is Around 5 Years
On average, raccoons live about five years in captivity, although many young raccoons die (within one year) before reaching adulthood. However, in the wild, the raccoons have an average life span of two to three years. The oldest recorded wild raccoon lived for 16 years, while raccoons in captivity can live up to 21 years, significantly longer than their wild counterparts.
8: Raccoons Are Excellent Climbers
Raccoons are adept climbers, incorporating tree climbing into their daily routines with remarkable skill. Their balancing and coordinating abilities enable them to navigate tree branches with agility and precision.
Equipped with front paws similar to human hands, raccoons utilize them to maintain grip and climb trees effortlessly. Their claws play a crucial role in gripping and digging, aiding in climbing endeavors. Furthermore, raccoons ascend trees to escape predators, find refuge, and rest during the day. They build homes in tree hollows, utilizing them as shelters to rest, rear their offspring, and store food.
9: Raccoons Wash Their Food Before Eating
Indeed, raccoons are known for their unique behavior of “washing” their food before eating, but they are not actually cleaning it. Instead, they dunk their food in water to moisten their paws. This action increases the tactile nerve responsiveness in their paws, allowing them to assess better what they are holding and eating. Furthermore, raccoons have relatively low saliva production, so wetting their food makes it more palatable by moistening and softening it.
10: Raccoons Make More Than 200 Noises
Raccoons are vocal animals, producing various sounds, including squeaks, whines, chirping, whistling, purrs, barks, growls, snarls, yelps, hisses, and screams. These sounds serve various communication needs, such as territorial marking, mating calls, parenting, and general interaction. In fact, raccoons can produce over 200 different ways to communicate with one another effectively.
Some of the familiar sounds and their ordinary meanings are:
- To convey their illness: Growling, hissing, and screeching noises
- To call their babies: Chirping, purring, and cooing noises
- To show anger: Barking and growling noises
- To communicate: Screeching, warbling, and chirping noise
- For mating: Screaming, yelping, whining, and squealing noise
Conclusion
Raccoons are the cutest mammals, with a unique black mask around their mouth and gray fur. They use unique features to live their lifestyles and adapt to the changing environment. Some of these facts include making 200 noises, washing their food before eating, and carrying parasites and diseases with them. The facts about raccoons aid us in understanding more about these animals and their unique traits.
FAQs
What are 5 interesting facts about raccoons?
1. Raccoons carry diseases and parasites.
2. Raccoons wash their food before eating.
3. Raccoons make more than 200 noises.
4. Raccoons are highly intelligent and inquisitive animals.
5. The mask-like markings on raccoons help improve their night vision.
Are raccoons highly adaptable creatures?
Raccoons are incredibly adaptable creatures, especially regarding their dietary habits. They are opportunistic eaters, meaning they will consume whatever food is readily available. This includes scavenging through garbage, crops, and chicken coops, and even helping themselves to pet food left outdoors.
Can you get parasites from raccoons?
Yes, raccoons carry parasites and diseases with them. They also contain roundworm eggs, which can cause serious illness if humans swallow or inhale them.
Why do raccoons have a mask on their face?
Masks on the faces of raccoons help them reduce glare and enhance their night vision.
What is the life expectancy of a raccoon in the wild?
Raccoons in the wild have an average life expectancy of about five years.
How many sounds can a raccoon make?
Raccoons can make up to 200 noises, including squeaks, whines, chirping, and whistling.