Raccoon

The raccoon is a furry, grey animal about the size of a small dog, best known for the black patch of fur across its eyes that looks just like a little mask. It also has a bushy tail with dark rings around it, which makes it easy to spot. Raccoons come from North America, and today they also live in parts of Europe and Asia.

Raccoons have amazing front paws that work almost like tiny hands, with five long, bendy fingers. They use them to feel, grab, and turn things over, and they are so clever with their paws that they can open lids, untie knots, and pick up the smallest snacks.

One of the raccoon’s most famous habits gives it its scientific name, which means “washer”. Near water, a raccoon often dips its food in and rubs it between its paws before eating. Getting its paws wet helps the raccoon feel exactly what it is holding, so it can tell tasty food from bits it does not want.

Raccoons are omnivores, which means they eat all sorts of things. Out in the wild they munch fruit, nuts, insects, crayfish, and eggs. Raccoons are also very good at finding a meal near people, and they will happily snack on food they find in gardens and parks.

Baby raccoons are called kits. In spring, a mother raccoon has a litter of about four kits, and she keeps them warm and safe in a snug den, often high up in a hollow tree. The kits are born tiny and helpless, but they grow quickly and are soon following their mother out to explore at night.

Raccoons are mostly active after dark, and they are very good at making a home almost anywhere, from thick woods to busy towns and cities. Because they are so clever and adaptable, there are plenty of raccoons about, and their numbers have been growing.