Raccoons

1. Raccoons By Tyler

2. What is a raccoon? • Raccoons are mammals. All mammals breathe with lungs and have • backbones. Mammals have bodies that are covered with fur or hair. They are • warm-blooded animals, which means their bodies stay the same temperature • in both hot and cold surroundings. Mothers give birth to live young. Baby • mammals drink milk that is made in their mothers’ bodies.

3. Raccoons are nocturnal, or active mainly at night. They often spend • the night foraging, or searching for food. Raccoons are not picky eaters. They • are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals. They use their • excellent senses of sight, smell, hearing, and touch to find food. • Where do raccoons live? • Raccoons live in North and South America. They are found mostly in the eastern parts of the United States and Canada. The most common • raccoon habitats, or home environments, are forests and wetlands, but • raccoons also live on plains and in urban areas such as cities and towns.

4. Home, sweet home • Within their habitats, raccoons find snug dens, or homes, in which they • sleep, hide from predators, and escape from harsh weather. Raccoons may • have several homes at the same time. Instead of building dens, they use • whatever spaces they can find, such as small caves or holes dug by other • animals. Holes in large trees are popular spots because they are off the ground and away from predators.

5. Where do raccoons live? • Raccoons live in North and South America. They are found mostly in the eastern parts of the United States and Canada. The most common raccoon habitats, or home environments, are forests and wetlands, but raccoons also live on plains and in urban areas such as cities and towns.

6. Raccoons are small, very adaptable mammals from North and South America and a few tropical islands. They live in a variety of habitats, including marshes, forests, Prairie, cities, and suburbs. These nocturnal (most active at night) animals have a life span of about 6 years in the wild. • Anatomy: Raccoons have distinctive black patches around their eyes that look like a mask. They have a bushy, black-ringed tail, clawed feet, and a pointed snout.

7. They have long fingers and toes and an acute sense of touch. Newborn raccoons do not have black eye patches or a ringed tail; these develop after a few days. Raccoons grow to be about 18 to 26 inches (46-66 cm) long plus a striped, furry tail 9 to 12 inches (23-30 cm) long. • Diet: Raccoons are omnivores; they will eat almost anything, including Frogs, crayfish, birds, mice (and other small mammals), fruit, nuts, plants, crops, and garbage. Raccoons find much of their food in water. Adult raccoons have few natural enemies; young raccoons can be eaten by wolves and bobcats.

8. This highly intelligent and very successful mammal lives in most of the more southerly areas of Canada - south of about latitude 53 degrees north—with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador. • They live primarily in forested areas near watercourses where they can find some of their favourite food items such as crayfish, frogs, small fish and turtles. They also eat wild berries, corn, meadow voles and mice. While raccoons are not true hibernators, they do sleep away the colder weather in their dens, surviving off of stored fat.

9. Mainly nocturnal, they have few natural predators although foxes, bobcats and coyotes sometimes take them. Generally mild-mannered and easily tamed, they will fight bravely against great odds if cornered.

10. Bye!