Masked Marauders
Renegade raccoons wreak havoc around the homestead.
November/December 2007
Jane A. White
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According to this raccoon, a bird feeder is a perfect hangout.
iStockPhoto.com/Clark Wheeler
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For the third night in a row, the creature crept across the yard. Slowly easing toward its target, the marauder hugged the shadows making its way into the backyard. Beside the porch, my husband stood silent, shotgun braced against his shoulder waiting, waiting for the bandit to show its face.
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They are cute, cuddly, mischievous and one of the most intelligent of wild animals. They also can be aggressive, vicious and destructive. Every year, more nuisance calls are received by wildlife control agencies for problems with raccoons than for any other animal.
Raccoon basics
The common (or northern) raccoon (Procyon lotor: washer dog) is native to North and South America and ranges from southern Canada to northern Argentina. Preferring lower elevations with milder climates and hardwood forests near water, the common raccoon is one of the most successful wild animals and is well adapted to encroaching urban sprawl. This is the raccoon that rummages in your garbage – or raids your sweet corn patch. The other two species are rare: The Tres Marias raccoon (P. insularis) is native to the Tres Marias islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico, and the crab-eating raccoon (P. cancrivorus) lives in tropical Central and South America.
Northern raccoons are unmistakable with their black mask around the eyes, bushy ringed tail and black paws with five toes. They are unusual in that their paws include a thumb (not opposable), which allows primate-like dexterity. Their fur is salt and pepper that ranges from grayish-brown tipped in black to a light gray. The average raccoon is about 2 to 3 feet long and weighs 10 to 30 pounds. The largest raccoon on record weighed 62 pounds.
Ravenous raiders
Raccoons are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal foods. Favored plant foods include all types of berries, fruits, nuts, acorns, corn and other types of grains. Animal foods include crayfish, clams, fish, frogs, snails, insects, turtles, mice, rabbits, muskrats, and the eggs and young of ground-nesting birds and waterfowl. Raccoons do not actually wash their food, a common misconception. Because they have a highly developed sense of touch, they are actually manipulating or “softening” whatever they pick up. They are also known to roll their food in dirt if no water is available.
Reproductive rascals
Breeding season is normally from December through June with litters born primarily in May and June. Females have one litter per year with an average size of three to five kits or cubs. The young are weaned at 2 to 4 weeks but may stay with the mother until spring. Males are solitary and can range an area of 3 to 20 square miles, depending on availability of females and food sources. The female usually has a range of 1 to 6 square miles.
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