The raccoon, known for its great intelligence, is a very endearing mammal, The Raccoon, Where And How Does It Live? with its beautiful fur, bushy tail, and pretty little head adorned with a black mask. Easy to tame when it is young, it becomes aggressive as an adult. It prefers wildlife to captivity. It is an animal that can carry all kinds of diseases such as scabies, leptospirosis, distemper, or rabies. It is not always appreciated by humans, which is, moreover, its main predator. It is a species classified as harmful. Zoom on the raccoon, a threat to biodiversity.
The Raccoon main characteristics
The common raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a small mammal that belongs to the family Procyoninae and to the Order of Carnivores. However, it adopts an omnivorous diet since its digestive system allows it to incorporate plant foods into its diet. Its range covers North America where it is native, the tropical zone of Central America as well as Canada. It is also found in many European countries where it was introduced, and more rarely in the Caribbean.
In adulthood, the male raccoon can measure up to 105 long, including tail (it measures between 20 and 40 cm depending on the individual), with an average weight of 9 kg. But a record would have been set for a 28 kg specimen. The raccoon's weight reaches its peak in the fall when its body has stored enough fat to survive the winter.
It has a thick grey-brown coat in winter and less in summer as it sheds its fur in the spring. Its eyes are surrounded by a black mask. A black band is also visible on his nose, and the rest of the face is white. Its large head is surmounted by two short ears. Its muzzle is thin and long. He has 5 fingers on each foot and hand with non-retractable claws. Its tail has 5 or 7 rings of black or brown fur and its tip is black.
The raccoon main predators
In addition to humans, the main predators of the raccoon are the domestic dog, grey wolf, red fox, puma, coyote, lynx, American marten, alligator and the youngest raccoons have the Great Horned Owl as another predator.
The life expectancy of the raccoon in the wild is about 5 years, but some individuals can live up to 14 years. In captivity, when it benefits from excellent living conditions, it is not uncommon for a raccoon to exceed 16 years of age.
The Raccoon lifestyle
Raccoons swim as well as climb trees. Its way of life is predominantly nocturnal. It is found especially in cultivated areas and forests, in swampy areas, and on the banks of rivers and streams. But in some parts of North America, it is not uncommon to see raccoons in urban areas, especially in large parks.
Raccoons take shelter in the hollows of tree trunks and various cavities and, if necessary, enter the burrows that marmots have abandoned. It even settles down in the immediate vicinity of houses since it can take up residence in outbuildings such as barns for example. But it does not remain very long in the same place, except in winter.
From summer until the dawn of winter, the raccoon's body accumulates a large amount of fat so that the animal can take advantage of this reserve during part of the dead season when it does not feed but sleeps most of the time. It only comes out of its torpor episodically. The end of this period ends during March for females but at the end of January for males. It is the moment when each one leaves his lodge to look for food again.
The Raccoon feeding
This small mammal feeds on invertebrates, larvae, worms, and insects even if they sting because its thick fur protects it. It also eats frogs, turtles, and many other aquatic animals, field mice, muskrats, acorns, berries, corn, fruits, nuts, and occasionally some carrion. In urban areas, raccoons even find food in private garbage cans.
The raccoon reproduction
The female can have pups from the age of 1 year. As for the male, he reaches his sexual maturity at the age of 2 years. The territory of a male can accommodate, during the breeding period, up to 12 females with whom he mates. He is therefore polygamous while the female raccoon is monogamous.
After the gestation period of 63 days, up to 12 pups are born. Each female has only one litter per year. At birth, the babies weigh only about 60 grams and are blind. They manifest themselves by small cries somewhat similar to chirps. They only start to see clearly and have teeth at 3 weeks.
At 10 weeks of age, they already have their very distinctive black mask in raccoons, and the lighter rings on their tail also appear at this time. They are weaned at the age of 4 months, but they remain with their mother until the following summer to finally live independently.
The raccoon a pest?
This animal has been the victim of poachers and hunters who only wanted to recover its fur. Today, it is still widely hunted but is also the victim of road traffic. Worldwide, nearly 4 million raccoons die every year. It should also be pointed out that in the United States it is an animal that is killed to consume its flesh, particularly in Arkansas where it is eaten roasted.
The common Raccoon does not hesitate to attack eggs on farms and devastates many agricultural lands or ravages orchards. This is why it is considered a threat to farmers and beekeepers since the animal attacks hives. In some countries, it is considered to harm the natural balance, as is the case in Switzerland, for example, where it is hunted. On the other hand, it is a protected species in the West Indies.
Considered a threat to biodiversity, the raccoon has joined the list of invasive species in many countries where it can be hunted or even eradicated so that local wildlife can be protected.
تعليقات
إرسال تعليق