A predatory animal with a fluffy fur coat is a small conqueror by nature. The animal adapts well to new conditions. Nature endowed him with dexterity, tirelessness, a fighting spirit and an incredibly attractive appearance.
It is no coincidence that in children's literature the hero shows cunning, ingenuity, perseverance and courage. charismatic raccoon has always aroused the interest of researchers and animal lovers.
Description and features
An animal with a dense body, up to 70 cm long, has a luxurious tail with lush hair. The weight of the animal is 8-12 kg. Males are one third heavier than females. A natural decoration is a gray-brown fur coat with long hair. The sides and back are darker in color than the yellow-gray chest and abdomen.
Black and gray rings on the tail are an indispensable attribute of his outfit. Fur sparkles in the sun. The dense skin serves as protection against insect bites.
Previously, the raccoon was considered a distant relative of the bear.
On a broad head, rounded ears of small size. The pointed muzzle with dark beady eyes reflects natural curiosity. Around the eyes is a black mask, framed by light rings, a dark stripe runs from the frontal part to the tip of the nose.
Bunches of vibrissae on the head, chest, and abdomen provide the animal with a confident orientation even in total darkness. Through touch, animals receive basic information.
The limbs of the raccoon are short. Paws with developed fingers, very mobile and tenacious. When walking, the shape of the traces left resembles a human palm print. The non-retractable claws are sharp, the soles of the paws are leathery. The animal walks cautiously, quietly, relying only on the fingers, fully stands on the sole only in an upright position or in a relaxed state.
Raccoons have exceptional grasping abilities
The paws are so nimble that the animal can easily wash them, hold objects, rinse them in water, transfer objects to Right place. Pets are able to open doors, audit pantries.
The device of the feet of animals gives a turn of 180 ° - a unique ability allows raccoons to climb trees, climb to an impressive height, go down the trunks upside down. Raccoons are often seen hanging upside down from trees.
Many peoples call the animal a bear-poloskun for a fluffy coat and a feature of rinsing everything in the water. Night vision is inherent in predators that are awake at night. Raccoons have many natural enemies. Danger threatens them from lynxes, wolves, jackals, snakes, owls, large dogs.
Raccoons are brave fighters, but in an unequal struggle the animal pretends to be dead, showing natural cunning.
Fluffy handsome men are valued for their fur, they are classified as commercial species, some peoples eat animal meat. Increasingly, raccoons are purchased for home keeping, as the animals adapt well and become friendly pets, although very mischievous.
Kinds
controversy about the raccoon about his family affiliation were based on conflicting data on kinship with felines, dog species animals. Today, a separate family of raccoons is distinguished between mustelid and bear links, in which 4 types of raccoons are described:
- cozumel;
- Guadalupe;
- raccoon-crayfish;
- raccoon.
Classifications include over two dozen subspecies of island endemics: Bahamian, Tresmarias and other raccoons.
In the historical homeland, in South, Central, all kinds of fur-bearing animals live. Common in our country raccoon poloskun, lives mammalian predator in the North Caucasus, Amur region, Krasnodar Territory.
cozumel raccoon. dweller mangroves coast of the island of Cozumel in Mexico. Differs in small size, yellowish tail color.
The Cozumel raccoon has a red tail
Guadalupe raccoon. Presence of a body of water nearby required condition habitat, prefers swampy areas. The decline in numbers threatens the extinction of the species, the raccoon is listed in the Red.
Raccoon-crayfish (crabeater, aguar). The animal is distinguished by short hair, a rounded body, which visually reduces its size. The color is predominantly brown.
Raccoon
Raccoon. The most common species of nomadic animals that have mastered the countries of Europe and Central Asia after human migration for the purpose of hunting breeding. The availability of food allows them to take root in new places, including directly near human settlements.
Lifestyle and habitat
The native inhabitant of America prefers a tropical climate, settles in deciduous and mixed forests, inhabits lowlands, flat areas. Raccoons are attracted to various water bodies nearby. Species living in the southern regions settle directly on the coasts.
The ability to adapt to the landscape helps to easily roam, often change places of deployment. Raccoons avoid areas with cold winters, other areas are successfully mastered. They settle in overgrown areas, choosing trees with old hollows for housing, and capture badger burrows. Animals do not build their shelters.
In Canada, raccoons hibernate during the winter with shallow sleep. Up to ten individuals can gather at the winter hut in one place. Southern species do not fall asleep.
Raccoon feet are very mobile and rotate 180 degrees
During the day, they often sleep, and at night they hunt within a radius of up to 2 km from the place of temporary housing. The areas of individual raccoons overlap each other, so the population density of animals is high. If there is not enough food, furry predators go to explore new areas.
Animals annoy farmers when they raid poultry houses, garden plots. Raccoons can be found in park areas, botanical gardens, squares. Animals are attracted to garbage cans, storages.
The agility and agility of raccoons, the ability to penetrate basements, climb into attics, open packaging, overcome barriers are amazing. The temperamental animal runs at a gallop, rapidly climbs vertical surfaces, swims well, jumps from a height of 10-12 meters.
Vitality contributes to resourcefulness, cunning, perseverance. Even babies, feeling threatened, try to defend themselves with throws, bites, and menacing growls.
The violent activity of animals is often associated with water, where they rinse everything in a row, why is the raccoon gargled and got its name. In captivity, this skill is shown even with washed treats. The scientific explanation for this phenomenon is that animals most often get food in marshy places in nature. Rinsing fights off the marsh smell, awakening the aroma of prey.
Communication of raccoons is rich in sound signals - snorting, whimpering, growling, purring, even whistling. Depending on the situation, they convey their mood and information to their relatives.
Food
Raccoon gargle - animal omnivore. The search for animal prey is usually concentrated near water bodies. Natural dexterity allows paws to catch fish, frogs, small water. The muddy water of the swamps does not prevent successful fishing.
Larger prey are muskrats, rabbits, squirrels, hamsters, musky rats. Sharp eyesight and excellent hearing help the raccoon to be a real predator. The diet contains eggs of birds and reptiles, larvae, insects, rain, small rodents.
Animal food predominates in spring and summer. With the advent of autumn, preferences change to plant gifts of nature. Raccoons eat nuts, acorns, mushrooms, various berries, vegetables, fruits, and cereals. Raids of animals on agricultural land, private farms cause significant damage to the owners.
The raccoon has a very sensitive sense of smell, thanks to which he easily finds food.
During the spring-summer season, the animal accumulates fat in order to endure starvation due to reserves with natural cooling. They approach human settlements in order to hunt in places of storage and disposal of waste. Raccoons take food after rinsing in water, sitting on their hind legs.
Reproduction and lifespan
The breeding season of raccoons begins in the northern regions with the beginning of spring, and in the south it has no boundaries. Males are polygamous, looking for a female by smell. After mating, they go in search of another partner.
Males live alone, do not take part in raising offspring. Female raccoons are associated with only one chosen one. The factor of animal relationships is important to consider in captivity.
The female bears offspring for 63 days. For the future preservation of the brood, raccoons are looking for spare holes in advance in order to move with the kids in case of danger. There may be more than a dozen such shelters. A separate hollow is being prepared for the birth of babies. Before the birth of offspring, the female becomes very aggressive.
After the birth of the cubs, the female has to look for food for herself and her children.
Newborn raccoons do not see, do not hear, they have no teeth. The weight of the crumbs is approximately 75 grams. There are from one to six cubs in a litter, covered with short hair of a light brown hue. Distinctive rings on the tail and a stripe on the head appear after 10 days of life. Eyes open after 2-3 weeks.
The female feeds the babies with milk for up to 3 months. Feeding occurs on average 20 times a day. Raccoons squawk and whistle. When they grow up, the sounds made become quieter, gradually the raccoons switch to adult food.
The female takes care of the offspring for up to 5 months, then the kids begin to live independently. In winter, some individuals remain near their mother. The cold period is a severe test for young animals. Surviving raccoons can be considered hardened for natural habitat conditions.
Young females become sexually mature in a year, males - by two years of age. In the natural environment, the life of cute animals lasts from 2 to 5 years. How long does a raccoon live in captivity, depends on the conditions of detention, proper feeding. Life expectancy is 14 - 20 years.
Raccoon at home
It will be difficult for an adult animal to get used to a person, it is necessary to take an animal for education from 6 weeks of age to 4 months of age.
Small raccoon adapts at home, take this territory as their own. Puberty affects behavior - the animals become aggressive, mark everything around, protect the site.
Walking a pet around the apartment will bring great damage, a lot of trouble for the owners. The prankster opens all doors, including the refrigerator, guts everything in its path, gnaws through things and wires. Pet activity is very high.
You need to remember about the aggressiveness of raccoons to strangers - this is one of the main barriers to keeping. It is impossible to use physical influence in education. The animal perceives this as an attack, the attitude towards the owner may become hostile.
The home diet should contain not only industrial feed, but also prepared mixtures from minced meat, cereals, vegetables, cottage cheese, eggs. You can feed twice a day.
The raccoon is a very active animal and creates a lot of trouble at home.
Price
An exotic animal can be purchased at a special nursery. The price of a raccoon gargle depends on a number of factors: age, color, physical features, kind. The cost is from 15,000 to 30,000 rubles. Buying from private sellers can end up with an extremely aggressive and sick animal.
Raccoon in the photo always looks like the cutest creature. Buying a pet is often disappointing for inexperienced owners. Knowledge of the features of the content, the ability to educate predatory pets, responsibility for the small life of a natural inhabitant will create harmony in the relationship between an interesting animal and a person.
Once upon a time, back in ancient times, the raccoon was a man. Moreover, he was rather dodgy and cunning - he deceived everyone all the time, cheated, and also stole everything that lay badly, because he had an irresistible addiction to kleptomania. He got to the point that he angered the Supreme Spirit to such an extent that he rashly turned him into a raccoon. Some time later, he relented - and returned the animal human hands, the same as before, fast and agile.
Perhaps that is why the Indians do not eat this animal, fearing that the moral qualities of the raccoon will also pass to them through food, which is far from honorable characteristics among proud Indians.
A cute, fluffy, extremely curious black and white animal with a chic long striped tail, few people will not like it. Despite the fact that this seemingly harmless animal is not only an omnivore, but also a rather successful predator and getter: if he liked any food, be it an extremely fatty chicken running around the yard, or sweet raisins left unattended or fruits - it is unlikely that anything will distract the raccoon from the goal - and he will definitely eat it.
The homeland of the raccoon-poloskun is considered to be North and Central America, from where they were subsequently brought to the territory of Eurasia. Thanks to his ability to quickly adapt to environment, they quickly spread across the continent (at the same time, raccoons can be found even in the Far East).
The first memories of these animals can be found in Christopher Columbus - and since that time, scientists have begun to actively discuss which species these animals belong to. Some argued that raccoons are dogs, others were badgers, others called them cats, there were proposals to consider them bears. Only a few centuries later, in late XVIII century, they were given a special genus of raccoons (Procyon), which means "like a dog."
Characteristics of the genus and species
Raccoons are predatory mammals that belong to the raccoon family, in the genus of which scientists distinguish the following species:
- Raccoon-poloskun - it was they who were brought to the Eurasian continent at one time. This species, in turn, is divided into 22 subspecies, one of which became extinct in the middle of the last century;
- Raccoon-crayfish - lives in Central and South America;
- Cozumel and Guadeloupe raccoons are endemic animals, found only in North or Central America and live in a rather limited area (while the Guadeloupe species is considered endangered).
External characteristic
Outwardly, this animal is a bit like a dog or even a fox, but has a number unique features that distinguish them from these beasts.
The length of the striped raccoon is from 45 to 60 cm. Weight, depending on the type and sex of the animal (males are larger than females), as well as on the season (animals living in the north hibernate in winter). On average, they weigh about six kilograms. The head of raccoons is wide, has a pointed muzzle and erect ears of a rounded shape. The slightly shortened muzzle is somewhat reminiscent of a mask: the nose is black, the hair around it is white, on top there is a black stripe passing to the forehead, around the eyes there are wide black stripes located at an angle of 45 degrees leading to the neck, framed from above by a narrow white stripe .
The paws are short, with well-developed fingers (they are a bit like human ones, because they do not have membranes between them) and long claws - thanks to this, raccoons can not only grab and manipulate small objects, but also climb and run through trees extremely well. It is interesting that these animals, when moving, rely only on their fingers, but when they stand in one place, they use the entire sole. They are also able to sit on their hind legs.
The raccoon's feet are extremely mobile and able to turn 180 degrees, which allows him to perform various acrobatic tricks on the trees, including moving upside down. These animals are famous for their long black and white striped tail.
The fur of raccoons, regardless of the species, is gray-brown in color, however, it differs in length. The shortest in the crustacean, in the rest - much longer and thicker. Distinctive feature raccoon wool is that it consists of 90% of a very thick undercoat, the main purpose of which is to prevent the animal from freezing in cold water.
Animal sense organs
These nimble predators not only see very well, but are also able to distinguish shades well. Green colour. They have a highly developed sense of smell and tactile sensations: without even touching an object, the animal learns a lot about it with the help of sensitive long coarse hair that is located all over its body - on the muzzle, between the claws, on the stomach, on the chest.
Even more data comes to the raccoon through the pads that are on its front paws - they have a thick stratum corneum, which, softening in water, becomes extremely sensitive. If this nimble predator spends a long time in very cold water, it will not affect its sensory abilities at all.
Ways of transportation
Thanks to its excellent eyesight and superbly developed tactile abilities, this nimble animal at night is able to gallop not only along the ground (running away from danger, it can reach speeds of up to 24 km / h), but also through trees (at the same time they feel good even on thin branches ). Not only the raccoon, but also other species swim very well and are not afraid to swim across narrow, but stormy mountain rivers.
As for the trees, the raccoon can even move upside down on them - the sharp claws of the animal and dexterous fingers enable it to cling tightly to both the branches themselves and the bark of trees. In addition, if necessary, the raccoon is quite capable of jumping to the ground from a height of 8-12 meters - and absolutely nothing harms itself.
Habitat
Usually the raccoon's house is located near the water, having chosen a hollow in a suitable tree for itself - usually the diameter of the entrance to its new home is from 12 to 19 cm and is located 30 cm from the ground. Finding a raccoon's house is not difficult: the bark on the trunk of such a tree is very scratched and you can see a lot of hairs on it.
In addition to the main habitat, the raccoon, just in case, has several more shelters, but still prefers to sleep in the main one.
If there is no suitable hollow nearby, he is quite capable of settling in a crevice between stones, between fallen tree trunks, and even in a pile of brushwood. Or maybe climb underground, finding a suitable abandoned hole (for example, badgers), since raccoons do not know how to dig them on their own.
The raccoon is extremely adaptable, so often the raccoon's house is located near some settlement, in orchards or even in a park, of course, if they like it there. At the same time, having chosen the territory, he rarely moves away from it by more than 1.5 km - and then, very good reasons are needed for this.
The only places where you can hardly meet a raccoon house are coniferous forests, as well as places where there are few reservoirs. Also, these animals do not like regions with very severe winters.
Character
By their nature, raccoons are extremely peaceful and friendly, active, inquisitive, resourceful and have enough high level intelligence - they are quite capable of learning and remembering the solution of a particular problem for three years.
Despite the fact that this animal is absolutely non-aggressive, you definitely cannot call it cowardly. Moreover, the animals show a desire to protect themselves already at the age of three months - in case of danger, they growl menacingly and even bite.
If you attack an adult raccoon, then it will defend itself extremely actively - growl, bite, scratch. If there is an opportunity to avoid a fight, he will use it - having seen the enemy in advance, he will try to run away, and if it does not work out, he will fall to the ground and pretend to be dead. He fights even when this technique does not work - then claws, teeth and natural resourcefulness are used.
Animal lifestyle
Despite all their friendliness, raccoons prefer to lead a lonely lifestyle (the only exception is the winter period, when they hibernate - in this case, several individuals often fall asleep in one shelter). Although they live alone, with relatives-neighbors they try to support a good relationship.
For example, if one raccoon for some reason ended up on the territory of another, they do not make a problem out of this (the main thing is that they do not claim housing), so the feeding areas of raccoons often intersect. Animals communicate with each other with different types of sounds - they can rumble, chirp, squeal. Due to this tolerance of their relatives, in places where there is a lot of food, they often create very dense settlements. For example, there are places in America where there are one hundred raccoons per 1 thousand hectares, and in protected parks there are even more - three hundred.
Since these animals lead a twilight-night lifestyle, during the day they sleep in the den, and go out to get food at dusk (at the same time, they try not to leave their site, with a radius of about 1.5 km). If necessary, the raccoon is quite capable of changing his daily routine. For example, the nutrition of raccoons that live on the coast largely depends on the tides - when the water recedes, a lot of different yummy remains on the sand, including a lot of crabs. This kind of food makes them happy.
The raccoon, which lives in the northern latitudes, unlike its southern counterparts, hibernates, and before falling asleep, it literally gets fat: its weight can increase by 2-3 times and reach 20 kg.
The duration of hibernation itself depends on the duration of the cold weather - Canadian raccoons sleep the longest, about 4-5 months, while in the south of North America, striped raccoons do not sleep at all. They simply wait out the snowfalls, sitting all the time in their shelter - and it is interesting that despite their love for loneliness, so that it would not be boring to sit in the den, they wait out the bad weather in whole companies. For example, once one scientist found fourteen raccoons at once in a huge shelter.
Food
Despite the fact that raccoons are predatory animals, in reality they are omnivores, because they do not disdain plant foods.
In spring and early summer, the raccoon prefers to eat animal food. To do this, he, having descended from the trees in search of food, moves slowly, often stopping and looking for something edible on the ground. It reacts instantly to living small creatures. Having made several jumps and having caught up with the victim, he grabs the prey and eats it with appetite, rumbling and champing at the same time.
During a drought, when their main food (frogs and crayfish) are rare, raccoons do not disdain mouse-like rodents, beetles, are able to catch and eat a snake, collect bird eggs, eat chicks, and can climb into a chicken coop.
In the water, this animal hunts in a slightly different way, since it is very difficult to see or smell prey in the dark, one might even say problematic. So the hunt goes like this:
- The raccoon lowers its paws into the water and leads them along the bottom, examining not only the soil, but also snags;
- In the end, his hypersensitive fingers push on the prey and instantly grab it, rinsing it in the process. The raccoons do it especially carefully;
- They not only wash the prey, but also determine its exact properties. In the water, his fingers are much more sensitive than outside, so they help him determine exactly if the prey is edible and ready to eat. For example, if a raccoon manages to catch a crayfish or a crab, he, having pulled the catch out of the water, beats it against the stones with all his might, and then lowers it into the water again to determine whether the prey is alive or not.
In late summer and early autumn, this animal prefers plant foods - mainly berries, fruits, nuts, acorns. Since raccoons do not avoid visiting human settlements, they often visit gardens, vegetable gardens, and fields. If in one year or another fruits and berries gave a poor harvest, they will not disdain grains. In search of something tasty, they are quite capable of rummaging through the trash.
procreation
In late February, early March, the male raccoon feels that the time has come to have offspring, and sets off to look for girlfriends - this is almost the only reason that can make him leave his site. He detects a female ready for mating by smell, while the courtship procedure is quite short.
After mating, the male leaves the female and immediately goes in search of others, the female remains alone and bears cubs, before the birth of which she becomes extremely aggressive, driving away absolutely all relatives that are nearby at this time.
Pregnancy lasts 60 days, the female gives birth in her den, from two to five babies are born, while it is noticed that northern raccoons are more prolific than their southern relatives.
The children of these animals are born blind and deaf, and their weight does not exceed 75 g. Interestingly, raccoon lovers have not yet decided whether they have wool or not. There is no doubt that the black and white marks on the muzzle appear almost immediately, and on the tenth day are marked quite clearly. The fur of babies immediately after birth begins to grow intensively - and when the cubs are two months old, it is in no way inferior to the fur coat of their parents.
Children begin to try the first solid food not earlier than the ninth week, when milk teeth grow up (they begin to grow when they are one month old), but they begin to leave the hole a little earlier under careful maternal supervision.
Babies communicate with their mother with the help of sounds - whistling or screaming, depending on what they need - milk or affection. The mother, in turn, also communicates a lot with the baby, through grumbling and rumbling.
The older the little raccoons get, the less and quieter they speak out, and then, leaving the mother and entering independent life(and this happens quite quickly - in autumn or winter), they use sounds only to find and communicate with relatives.
The raccoon enters adulthood quite early, namely at the age of four to five months. Females are ready to reproduce offspring already in a year and a half, males - in two. The most difficult test for a raccoon is his first winter - if he managed to survive in the cold, then he will live for a long time. The animal itself is very healthy, various diseases it is hardly clung to and, under favorable circumstances, it is quite capable of living from 12 to 20 years.
Raccoons (lat. Procyon) - a genus represented by predatory mammals belonging to the Raccoon family. Such animals got their name from the Indian word "Arakun", meaning "scratching with their own hands."
Description of the raccoon
In many Asian and European countries the raccoon is literally called "poloskuny bear" and "washing bear". It is almost impossible to confuse a raccoon with any other wild or domestic animal.. The Latin name Procyon can be translated as "pre-dog" or "before the dog", due to characteristic appearance beast.
Appearance, color
In appearance, raccoons are similar to, have a stocky body, short legs with movable and long fingers, as well as sharp and non-retractable claws. The plantar part of the paws is bare. In the process of standing, the animal tries to lean on the entire surface of the sole, and when moving, only on the fingers, due to which the raccoon's traces resemble an imprint left by a human hand.
The head of the animal is quite wide, has a short and sharp muzzle, small and rounded ears. The tail is fluffy. The fur is long and thick, forming very peculiar "tanks" on the sides of the head. The dental formula is characterized by the presence of incisors 3 and 3, canines 1 and 1, premolars 3-4 and 3-4, molars 2 and 2-3. The total number of teeth is 36-42 pieces.
It is interesting! distinctive, characteristic feature raccoon fur, outside it species features, is a special composition, represented by 90% of a very dense or thick undercoat, designed to protect the animal from cold water.
The coat is yellowish-gray in color with an admixture of black. From the frontal zone to the nasal tip there is a strip of black-brown staining. Around the eyes there are black-brown spots. On the tail part of the raccoon, the presence of wide rings of black-brown or gray-yellow color is noted. Male raccoons tend to be noticeably heavier and noticeably larger than females.
Character and lifestyle
The nature of the raccoon, regardless of species, is extremely peaceful and friendly, very active and inquisitive. Such a resourceful animal has high intelligence, is quite capable of learning to solve simple problems and perform fairly simple tricks. A completely non-aggressive animal is not known for cowardice, therefore it can protect itself by biting and scratching, as well as using a menacing growl. In some cases, the animal prefers to retreat or pretend to be dead in order to avoid a fight.
Despite friendliness, raccoons prefer loneliness, therefore they unite in groups only during hibernation. A mammal most often maintains good relations with neighboring relatives, so the feeding territories of such animals may overlap. Tolerance has a positive effect on the population density of raccoons in many territories. Communication with each other is expressed in rumbling, chirping and a kind of squealing.
It is interesting! The average duration of hibernation of a raccoon depends on the duration of the cold period, but Canadian raccoons, which are able to sleep for five months, stay in this state the longest.
The mammal prefers a twilight-night lifestyle, therefore, during the daytime, animals sleep in their lair, and go out in search of food only at dusk. However, if necessary, raccoons are quite capable of changing the established daily routine. For example, the diet and way of eating raccoons living on the coast are largely dependent on the ebb and flow, and the raccoons inhabiting the northern latitudes first grow fat by two or three times, after which they fall into hibernation, lasting severe cold.
How long do raccoons live
The most common species today is traditionally the raccoon, whose average recorded lifespan in natural conditions, as a rule, does not exceed five to six years. When kept in captivity, the mammal lives up to fifteen years, but the life span of a domestic raccoon is greatly affected by a large number of factors, including species characteristics, conditions created for keeping, diet and compliance with disease prevention.
Types of raccoons
The Raccoon genus includes four main species:
- (Proxyon lotor), represented by 22 subspecies, are predatory mammals that are one of the few species that thrive in the process of progressive anthropogenic impact and land cultivation. An animal with a body length in the range of 45-60 cm and a tail of no more than a quarter of a meter. It has short legs and fairly thick, brown-gray fur;
- Raccoons (Procyon sancrivorus), having a fluffy tail and a pattern around the eyes, which forms a kind of "gangster mask". It is distinguished by a more streamlined body with a length of 40-60 cm, with a tail length of 20-42 cm. The fur on the back and sides is brown, and on the belly it is gray;
- Cozumel raccoons (Procyon pygmaeus) are rare species with a body length of 60-80 cm, with tail sizes within a quarter of a meter. The average body weight of an adult can vary from 3.0 to 4.0 kg. The species is distinguished by brownish-grayish fur, the presence of a yellow tint on the tail and a black mask on the muzzle;
- Guadalupe raccoons (Proxy minor) are endangered species and are characterized by external similarity with the raccoon-poloskun. The body length is 51-60 cm. The fluffy tail part has five or six black rings, and the body is covered with thick fur. There is a characteristic "black mask" in the head area.
It is interesting! To date, a particularly common striped raccoon is represented by two dozen subspecies, including several endemics of the island type.
The raccoon species includes an island, very rare subspecies - the Barbados raccoon (lat. Procyon lotor gloveralleni), living on an island in the Caribbean Sea, as well as a fairly large subspecies - the Tresmarias raccoon (Procyon lotor insularis) and a predatory mammal - the Bahamian raccoon ( lat Procyon lotor maynardi).
Range, distribution
- cozumel raccoon- endemic to a small Caribbean island off the coast of Quintana Roo. Natural habitats are mangrove and rainforests within the island, as well as beach areas and cultivated land.
- Guadalupe raccoons- land animals that live mainly in the humid regions of Guadeloupe. Raccoons of this species prefer swampy areas, but can also live in dry forest areas near rivers or lakes.
- Aguara or raccoon- an animal originating from marshlands and jungles, settling in South and Central America, including Tobago and Trinidad. Nocturnal solitary animal prefers to stay close to streams, lakes and rivers.
- American or raccoon- a predator common in North America, from the Isthmus of Panama to the provinces in southern Canada, as well as in France and other European countries.
Adult raccoons locate their dwelling close to the water, choosing for this purpose a hollow in a tree, located at a height of 30 cm from ground level. Finding a raccoon's house is not difficult - the bark on the trunk of the tree is heavily scratched, with a sufficient amount of hairs. In addition to the main habitat, raccoons prepare several more reliable shelters for themselves, but most often they use the main hollow for sleeping.
In the absence of a suitable hollow, a mammal is quite capable of settling in crevices between stones or fallen tree trunks, and even inside brushwood. Sometimes the animal finds a hole that is suitable in size and abandoned by other animals, which is due to the inability of raccoons to dig a dwelling for themselves on their own. Raccoons adapt extremely easily and quickly, so quite often predators settle not too far from settlements, near orchards and park areas. The chosen territory is rarely left by animals, but if necessary, the raccoon is able to move away from it by about one and a half kilometers.
Raccoon diet
Favorite biotopes of raccoons are represented by old mixed forest areas with swamps and ponds.. In such an area there are a large number of hollow trees, which allows the raccoon to rest during the daytime. The mammalian animal has a well-developed night vision, which helps the animal to navigate in space after dark and hunt. In addition, raccoons have sensitive vibrissae that grow over almost the entire surface of the body, including the head, chest and abdomen, the inside of the legs, and areas of skin near the claws.
The raccoon belongs to the category of omnivores, but its main diet is highly dependent on the characteristics of the time and area. The only member of the family that hibernates in the spring needs a significant amount of very nutritious feed. After hibernation, around February or March, sexually mature raccoons begin active reproduction, so they need high-quality protein food, represented exclusively by animal feed.
It is interesting! Anthropogenic factors, which are a threat to the life and population of many animals, could not cause significant harm to raccoons, so such animals easily adapted to life near people and often get food in landfills or garbage cans.
Raccoons are able to catch large insects, and also prey on frogs and not too large rodents. The ability to deftly climb trees allows the animal to destroy bird nests. Sometimes they feed on snakes, lizards and various aquatic animals, which can be represented by crabs, crayfish and fish. With the onset of the autumn period, raccoons switch to vegetable diets in the form of berries and nuts, acorns and fruits of various cultivated plants. For some areas, raccoons have become a real disaster, due to frequent raids on fruit, agricultural and melon plantations.
If you are going to have a raccoon at home, you should know a number of nuances. This is not a dog or a cat, it has not only a different color, but also a character, which makes the beast unique. Of course, the raccoon at home feels very good. In addition, he is not picky about food and living conditions.
Keeping a raccoon at home: all the subtleties and important points
If you decide to get yourself such an unusual animal, then you must definitely take this with all responsibility. Of course, when getting a raccoon at home, you want it to be tame and affectionate, so you need to take a pet small and preferably from home parents. However, if you got a wild baby, then do not despair, you just need a little patience to raise him. In order for the raccoon to feel quite comfortable, he needs to create certain conditions. It is desirable to keep the animal in spacious cages, aviaries, or, if possible, allocate a whole room for him so that he can move around without any problems. There it is enough for him to put a small house for the bedroom, a toilet tray, a feeder and, of course, a basin of water. He is a predator, so it is undesirable to leave him alone, unattended. It should also be taken into account that these animals have very tenacious limbs, and they can easily open cabinets, drawers and various doors, so it is necessary to remove dangerous objects or close all the doors with tape.
In general, breeding raccoons at home is a rather interesting and unusual activity. If you get yourself a female, then in the future you will get from four to seven small pets that will delight you.
Domestic raccoon behavior
The first six months are the most difficult for the owner of such an energetic animal. The raccoon grows up at home quite slowly, so you will need to be a little patient. Puberty in a pet occurs at about a year, but childish behavior passes only by two years. The raccoon is a very energetic and curious animal, so you will not be bored with it. He can rush through rooms with great speed and climb into forbidden places. If you think that this little animal will immediately begin to obey you, then you are greatly mistaken. It will take you quite a long period of time to train him. However, this can help you known methods. For example, if he obeyed, then you need to reward him with something tasty. Also in the pet store you can buy a clicker, which will also help you with raising your baby. So a raccoon at home, reviews of which are mostly good, will gradually develop.
Can an animal be trained to bite?
This little predator loves to bite. However, in fact, he does this for a reason, for him it is such a peculiar way of communication. Therefore, it is simply impossible to completely wean him from biting. For an animal to hear you, you need to talk to it. low voice, since the beast understands such a tone faster. However, this does not always help, so you need to try to teach him. To do this, you can use an empty plastic bottle, since she claps quite loudly, and you won’t hit her painfully, but usually it’s enough just to hit her near a predator. However, at the same time, it is necessary to pronounce the words, so that in the future only them will suffice. It is also necessary to show him that you are in charge, because if he does not understand this, he will try to become the leader himself (especially if it is a girl). A small raccoon at home behaves rather badly at first, so you can pick it up by the scruff of the neck, as a mother does in the wild. So he feels helpless and understands that you are in charge.
What does a raccoon eat at home?
Despite the fact that the animal is a predator, it needs to be given a variety of food. In general, a raccoon is an omnivore, so meat, fish, cottage cheese, seafood and eggs, as well as cookies, various cereals, nuts, vegetables and fruits can be included in its diet. Sometimes it starts to sort out in food, so you should experiment to find out what the animal will like more. Of course, it is desirable to stick to a natural diet, but in rare cases, you can use an artificial one. For example, if keeping a raccoon at home leads to the fact that he lacks the necessary vitamins and minerals, then you can give him a canine or which will improve the health of the pet.
It is important to know that living with such an animal with other pets is not always compatible. If you also have a dog or a cat, then keeping them together is quite normal, you just need to at least sometimes distribute pets in different rooms. However, keeping a raccoon with small rodents or birds is generally unacceptable, as they can become natural food for a predator. Sometimes this animal can turn out to be a real egoist and demand that they pay attention only to him. He can get so used to the love of his masters that he simply does not want to share it with someone else. This can happen with your guests, the raccoon may recognize them as competitors and will try in every possible way to expel them, biting and scratching at the same time.
As previously mentioned, a raccoon needs a basin of water, since it is not in vain that it is called a “poloskun”. He loves to rinse his food and even randomly found things, besides splashing in water is his favorite pastime. We can say that this is the meaning of the life of this animal. Of course, you will have to change the water quite often, but is it really difficult to do this for the happiness of your beloved pet?
The raccoon usually monitors its cleanliness on its own, splashing in a basin. You only have to bathe him a few times a year without any shampoos or other products, as they can break the greasy cover of the animal's hair and skin. It is also necessary to comb the animal sometimes, as it has very thick fur. It is especially important to do this in early spring, when the pet begins to shed, because the wool can crumple and fall off throughout the apartment. Usually the raccoon tries to comb out the lumps, but this can cause injury to the skin, so it's best not to allow this.
In general, a raccoon at home, reviews of which are usually only positive, is a very sociable and friendly animal, so you should pay as much attention to it as possible. And even if he managed to harm somewhere, then in no case should he be beaten, just scolding him is enough. These animals are well tamed, but do not forget that in their hearts they still remain wild. So it’s not worth calling this wildness in him, because otherwise you will recognize your pet from a completely different side.
A predatory mammal, the raccoon lives in Central and North America. The first settlers brought a cute funny animal to Europe, where he acclimatized and successfully mastered new territories. It is one of the few wild animals that have adapted to living conditions next to humans. The raccoon, living in Eurasia, is the largest of the four species of relatives.
Its weight ranges from 5 to 9 kg, body length - from 45 to 60 cm. It is the size of a cat or a small dog. The fur is thick and warm, gray, black and yellow in color, a beautiful fluffy striped tail reaches 20–25 cm in length.
With short front paws with developed fingers, the animal grabs and holds various objects, and also washes food before eating it. For the manic desire to wash everything edible before eating, the raccoon-poloskun got its name.
An active animal, with movements and antics reminiscent of human ones, amuses both children and adults. In zoos near enclosures with raccoons, a crowd of spectators laughingly watches the actions of an economic restless animal. Raccoons are sociable and curious, easily tamed and bred in captivity.
Therefore, when an unusual pet appears in the family, the question arises of how to feed the raccoon. The most suitable food will be food that animals eat in nature or similar to it.
What do raccoons eat in their natural habitat
Raccoons perfectly adapt to new living conditions, primarily due to their omnivorous nature. They feed on animal and vegetable food, do not shun:
In search of prey, the animals can go 2 km from their home. They live in hollows of trees, crevices, they can occupy an abandoned building or someone else's hole, since they cannot dig their own. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle. Despite their considerable weight, they climb trees perfectly, where they destroy bird nests, eating chicks and eggs. In case of danger, they can reach speeds of up to 30 km per hour, swim well.
Raccoons living close to human settlements have a much more varied diet. Fearless animals inspect the trash cans, feast on pizza, chips, bread crusts, even soda. The villagers complained that the little thieves entered the houses, eating the bread and drinking all the beer.
How to feed raccoons at home
Having an idea of what wild relatives eat in their natural habitat, you can make the right and balanced diet for your pet.
Since the striped raccoon is a predator, its menu must include:
From plant foods, animals eat with pleasure:
- fruits: apples, apricots, pears, plums, bananas;
- berries: grapes, gooseberries, strawberries, mulberries;
- nuts: walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios;
- vegetables: zucchini, pumpkin, gourds;
- cereals: oatmeal, rice, buckwheat, corn and others;
- occasionally honey.
In winter, they feast on dried apricots, prunes, figs, dates and raisins. It is sometimes possible to give quality dry food for cats or dogs, but they should not be abused.
Domestic raccoons are fed three times a day:
- in the morning, before the animal goes to sleep;
- in the evening after six o'clock;
- night until midnight.
Be sure to provide your pet raccoon with water. Arrange deep bowls in several places in which the pet can rinse the food before eating it. Wash the bowls and change the water in them every day.
Make sure the raccoon doesn't overeat. In their natural habitat, these are very active animals, spending a lot of energy on getting food. Pets don't need to move as much and tend to gain weight. excess weight. Males need 15% more food than females.
Raccoons usually eat the food offered to him without a trace. If food remains scattered near the bowl, then it is superfluous. If the animal refuses the usual food, it may be lacking in protein or vitamins in the diet, and something new needs to be offered.
Features of animal nutrition depending on the season
In cold winters, striped raccoons hibernate. Pets do not spend several months in a state of sleep, but in very coldy may take a nap for one to two weeks. Hungry, they wake up.
Depending on the time of year, animals show preferences for a certain type of food:
- Place 1 kg of minced chicken (but not bone) in a saucepan and pour water, bring to a boil.
- Pour 1 kg of cereal (buckwheat, oatmeal or rice), boil again and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Wrap the pot with porridge and leave for half an hour.
- Grate vegetables and fruits (apples, pumpkin, carrots, onions) and mix with porridge. Fill with vegetable (1 tablespoon) and butter(half a pack).
Cottage cheese is added to porridge 3-4 times a week, 2-3 times chicken eggs and chopped dried fruits. Store porridge in the refrigerator, but no more than two days.
What to feed baby raccoons
Little raccoons, living with people since childhood, grow up affectionate and kind. But caring for a one-month-old baby is a difficult task. Therefore, it is recommended to take raccoon cubs at the age of 1.5 months and older, when they already begin to eat solid food.
Feeding babies up to 1.5 months
If you have a baby raccoon, get ready for the fact that you need to feed and water him day and night, massage his tummy and carefully monitor his health. They feed babies with a substitute for cat's milk, but not with goat, cow or mare.
Every 3-4 hours the cub needs to be fed. To do this, use a baby bottle with a nipple, a pipette or a disposable syringe (without a needle), some babies begin to lap from a saucer. After eating, the baby should sleep for 3-4 hours. If he wakes up earlier, then he does not eat enough. Sleeps longer - you overfeed him. Get an electronic scale and weigh your pet every day. There should be at least a small boost.
After feeding and in the interval between them, it is necessary to massage the tummy. Raccoon cubs at this age themselves can neither poop nor write. If there was no stool massage after feeding and after it, it is necessary to do a massage every 40-50 minutes until the desired result.
Feeding raccoon cubs from 1.5 to 2.5–3 months
At 5-6 weeks, a banana, grated cottage cheese, quail eggs. Start with small portions. First, mashed banana ring 1 cm thick is added to the milk mixture. At the next feeding, the portion of the banana is increased.
At the same time, look after the chair. If there is no diarrhea, the amount of banana is increased. With loose stools, a banana is introduced into the milk mixture in the same volume and a tablespoon of rice decoction or oak bark is added. If there is mucus, blood, or a foul smell in the stool, be sure to seek help from a veterinarian.
Starting from 2.5–3 months, raccoon cubs eat from a bowl on their own.
The answer to the question, where are the raccoons life is better gives statistics. In natural habitat average duration the life of animals is about 5 years, at home - 12–16. Still, next to a person, these funny animals live much more comfortably.
