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raccoon
📅 Updated:2026-02-12
🕒 Created:2011-07-02
🆔 ID:1867
Description
The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a medium-sized mammal native to North America. It has a grayish coat, of which almost 90% is dense underfur for insulation against cold weather. Its two most distinctive features are its extremely dexterous front paws and its facial mask. It is the largest of the Procyonid family, having a body length of 40 to 70 cm (16 to 28 in) and a body weight of 3.5 to 9 kg (8 to 20 lb). The raccoon is usually nocturnal and is omnivorous, with a diet consisting of about 40% invertebrates, 33% plant foods, and 27% vertebrates.
Raccoons are noted for their intelligence, with studies showing that they are able to remember the solution to tasks up to three years later. However, they make lousy pets thanks to this intelligence and a tendency for getting into destructive mischief, but this hasn't prevented exotic pet owners in Europe from trying.
Culturally, it plays a part in the mythology of several Native American tribes, appearing in folk tales and art across the continent.
