Raccoon Identification
Recognized mostly by the mask-like markings on their face, raccoons are found all across North America. They have bushy tails with up to 10 dark rings.
- Family: Raccoons belong to the Procyonidae family and are closely related to pandas.
- Size: Raccoons are the most sizable members of the Procyonidae family. They often reach lengths of 26 to 38 inches long, with tails that average 10 inches long. Raccoons typically weigh 12 to 35 pounds.
- Color: Raccoons have brown, grayish-brown, or reddish-brown fur with black mask-like markings around the eyes and black stripes on the tail.
- Legs: These animals have four legs with slender forepaws that look somewhat like human hands. Their paws offer substantial dexterity to raccoons as they climb and forage.
Types of Raccoons
North American Raccoon
Signs of Raccoons
Raccoons tend to be active at night, so you may not see them in action. However, they often leave telltale signs behind, including footprints and scratching around the bases of trees. Other signs include:
Noise
You may hear sounds of whistling, hissing, or growling as they feed. Raccoons are also known to scream when attacked. Young raccoons make a lot of noise and can be mistaken for birds.
Droppings
Raccoon droppings can often be found at the bases of trees or along woodpiles and rooftops. Their tubular droppings are typically dark in color with blunt ends and may contain nuts, grains, and other undigested food.
Property Damage
Raccoons can cause a lot of damage in their search for food, leaving black smudges on walls and gutters and holes in insulation and siding. They have also been known to rip into roofing materials, scavenge through garbage, and damage attic materials as they build their nests.
Pets Behaving Strangely
Dogs and cats are often alerted to the presence of nuisance wildlife before people are. If you see your pet staring at the floor, wall, or ceiling, you may have an interloper in your home or on your property.
How Do I Get Rid Of Raccoons?
You have raccoons. Now what?
- Cut off their access to food. Don’t feed them and make sure garbage is placed in tightly lidded receptacles to restrict access.
- Seal any potential entry points with hardware cloth, wire mesh, or sheet metal. Cover chimney flues and trim overhanging tree branches to prevent access to rooftops.
- Contact a pest control professional with expertise in handling nuisance wildlife to safely and humanely eliminate the problem.
Raccoon Facts
Lifespan
In the wild, raccoons live approximately two to three years. In captivity, these curious animals can live as long as 20 years or more.
Food Sources
Raccoons have been affectionately nicknamed “trash pandas” for their propensity to feed on garbage and anything else they can get their paws on. They mainly eat garbage, pet food, fish, insects, fruit, and berries.
Reproduction
Female raccoons typically begin having babies once they reach a year old. Mating season often occurs in January or February but can happen anytime in the first half of the year. Females give birth to between two and five raccoon kits after a 65-day gestation. Kits remain with their mothers until they are between 13 and 14 months old.
Risk of Disease
Raccoons commonly carry rabies, a disease that can severely damage the central nervous system if left untreated. Rabies inflames the human brain, causes fever, violent movements, and confusion and can be fatal. If you are bitten by a raccoon, it’s important to seek immediate medical attention to ensure your health and safety.
Additionally, contact with raccoon droppings may distribute diseases and parasites.
Where Are Raccoons Found?
These masked bandits are usually found in hardwood forests, near streams, swamps, and ponds. Raccoons can easily adapt to changing surroundings, denning in trees and logs, under brush piles, in haystacks, attics, crawlspaces, barns, chimneys, and even sewers.
When Are Raccoons Active?
Raccoons are primarily nocturnal, but it’s not uncommon in spring and summer months to see raccoons looking for food during the day for their young. A raccoon foraging during the day does not necessarily indicate that the raccoon is rabid.
More Information About Raccoons
Dangers of Raccoons & Diseases They Carry
Raccoons During the Winter: What Do They Do?
What Attracts Raccoons
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a raccoon eat?
Raccoons are omnivores that each crayfish, fish, frogs, rodents, eggs, insects, plants, nuts, and garbage.
What does a raccoon sound like?
Raccoons are vocal animals, making various sounds such as chittering, growling, whimpering, purring, and screaming.
What do raccoon droppings look like?
Raccoon droppings are tube shaped and have blunt ends.
What diseases do raccoons carry?
Raccoons can transmit other pests, including parasites, mites, and ticks, along with diseases like rabies, Baylisascaris procyonis, leptospirosis, salmonella, e. coli, and giardiasis.
How can you tell if a raccoon has rabies?
Raccoons are common rabies carriers and may exhibit signs like looking lost or confused, trouble walking or walking in circles, and foaming at the mouth.
What do raccoon tracks look like?
Raccoon tracks look like human footprints but average about four inches per paw print.
Can a raccoon jump?
Raccoons are avid climbers and can jump approximately four feet vertically and around five to 10 feet horizontally, on average.
