Raccoon, Procyon lotor

Racoon or Mapache, Procyon lotor. Photograph taken in the greater Alamos area, Alamos, Sonora, May 2018. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

The Raccoon, Procyon lotor, is a member of the Procyonidae family of  Cacomistles, Ccoatis, Kinkajous, Olingos, Oolinguitos, Raccoons, and Ringtails. The Procyonidae family consists of thirteen members placed into five genera. There are three species in the Procyon genus. The Racoon is known in Mexico as Mapache.

Raccoons have shaggy and coarse fur that varies slightly in coloration depending upon their habitat from gray, to reddish brown, to buff. One of their most distinguishing characteristics is a black mask of fur around their eyes, which is outlined by white fur. They have rounded ears, round black eyes, and a black nose. Their tail is bushy with anywhere from four to ten dark rings. While all of their paws are black and have five fingers, their forepaws and hind paws differ in structure. Their forepaws resemble slender human hands, allowing them to be surprisingly dexterous, while their hindpaws are thicker and longer. Raccoons have a stocky build and can weigh between 1.8 kg (4.0 lbs) to 10.4 kg (23.0 lbs) depending upon their habitat and region. Some Racoons in the northern parts of their range achieve body masses made up of 50% body fat. Sexual dimorphism is displayed with males being 10% to 30% heavier than the females. The Racoon range from 75 cm (2 feet 6 inches) to 90 cm (3 feet 0 inches) in length, including their 25 cm (10 inch) long tail. 

Raccoons are primarily nocturnal and solitary, only forming social groups of mothers and their young. They overcome winter food shortages and unfavorable temperatures by becoming dormant in a state of reduced metabolism. This period may last from a few days, in response to occasional southern cold spells, to four to six months in northern regions. Most individuals will double their springtime body weight in order to provide themselves with enough energy to sleep through the winter. Northern Raccoons are able to sleep for longer periods of time by accumulating large amounts of body fat during the late summer and autumn. Mating occurs in the early spring from February to June, with most mating in March. Northern populations tend to breed earlier than southern populations. Females are sometimes found temporarily denning with males during the mating season. After mating, there is no association between males and females. Gestation lasts approximately 63 to 65 days before a litter of 1 to 6 (typically 4) young are born in late spring. The young are altricial, being born blind and helpless in a tree den. Their eyes open after 18 to 24 days and they are able to stand after 4 to 6 weeks. They are weaned after 70 days and by the time they are 20 weeks old, the young regularly forage at night with their mother. When the young first emerge from their den, their mother may carry them around by their neck, like a cat carries a kitten. Mothers are very protective of their young and will attack predators that come too close. The young remain with their mother through their first winter, where they learn how to hunt for food and climb trees, before becoming independent early in the following spring. Mothers and their young will often den nearby, even after they have reached maturity. In captivity Raccoons have life spans of up to twenty years, but few survive beyond five years in the wild. 

Raccoons communicate using a variety of vocalizations including hisses, whistles, screams, growls, and snarls. Their common gait is a shuffle-like walk, however, they are able to reach speeds of 15 miles per hour on the ground. They climb with great agility and are not bothered by a drop of 11 m (35 feet) to 12 m (40 feet) to the ground. In addition to being excellent climbers, they are strong swimmers and can hunt for food in the water. Raccoons are opportunistic omnivores and consume fruits, nuts, insects, small mammals, bird eggs and nestlings, reptile eggs, frogs, fishes, aquatic invertebrates, worms, and garbage. In some rural areas, corn is a large part of their diet. If water is nearby, a Raccoon will sometimes put its food in the water and roll it around. While it appears to be washing its food, it is not. Rather, the Raccoon is softening the food and looking for foreign objects. Raccoons are preyed upon by Cougars, Bobcats, Coyotes, domestic Dogs, Eagles, and Humans. Diseases such as canine distemper, parvovirus, and rabies cause significant mortality throughout their range. Raccoons are very adaptable and are found almost anywhere water is available, such as along streams and shorelines. They den under logs or rocks, inside tree holes, in shallow burrows, or along banks. In some areas, they have adapted to city life and are commensal with the human population. They are most abundant in hardwood swamps, mangroves, flood forests, and marshes. 

The Raccoon may be confused with the White-nosed Coati, Nasua narica, due to their similar appearances and overlapping ranges. These species can be differentiated visually. White-nosed Coati have long, highly mobile snouts and thick semi-prehensile tails that may or may not have several dark rings. Their coats are brown with a mix of red and yellow dorsally, and lighter brown ventrally.

From a conservation perspective, the Raccoon is considered to be of Least Concern due to their broad distribution, occurrence in a variety of habitats, abundance, and presence in a number of protected areas. They are adaptable to human conversion of habitat, so it is possible their population may be increasing in some areas of their range. While there are few major threats to the species as a whole, regional threats by humans do exist. The Raccoon played an important role in the North American fur industry during the 19th century. By the early 20th century, Raccoon coats were highly fashionable and sought after. Today they are still commonly hunted for sport and trapped for their pelt, which is made into coats, collars, muffs, and trimmings. Additionally, Raccoons are one of the most common victims of road kills, especially around suburban areas.