Racoon
One to six tiny kits are born to each raccoon mother usually in the month of May. Born in a den made from a hollow tree, a cave or an abandoned building, the newborns are blind, fuzzy, grey and totally dependent on their mothers.
Their masks and tail rings develop in ten days while their eyes and ears open within three weeks. Baby raccoons stay with their mothers for 8-12 months. Once mature, females will weigh about 7-8 kg and males 8-9 kg. Adult raccoons are about 90 cm long with tails that average another 25 cm.
Like bears, raccoons are omnivorous and will eat anything edible. Their agile front paws allow them to pick up very delicate and small items. Because raccoons are wetland inhabitants, they are often observed “washing” their food.
In reality, they are using their sensitive paws to search for food such as crayfish, snails, clams etc. in the water. Raccoons will also eat birds’ eggs, frogs, crickets, earthworms, grasshoppers, chickens, mice and turtles. They most often feed at night.
The scientific name for the raccoon is Procyon lotor.
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