Raccoon

see also: Etymology of Raccoon

The raccoon , or more exactly the common raccoon ( Procyon lotor , Linnaeus 1758), is a Mammifère Omnivore originating in America and introduced in Europe into the Années 1930. It owes its name with its practice, more or less real, to soak its food in water before eating them. The animal, of the family of the Procyonidae , is primarily night and climbs easily with the trees thanks to its nimble fingers and its sharp-edged claws. It has the Pelage pepper and salt with light colors the russet-red one. One easily recognizes it with his black mask bordered of white around the eyes and with his striped tail of white and black. The raccoon adapts to many natural environments. Opportunist and easy to tame, he also ventures in the American Villes. Its behavior varies according to the sex and the area where he saw. He is always driven out for his Fourrure but a species in danger nor even does not constitute threatened.

Description

The adult raccoon measures 80 cm on average. The males are larger and heavier than the females.

The mass of the raccoon lies between 5,4 and 21.6 kg. The largest individuals live in the septentrional areas (8.5 kg on average with the Canada); record: 28 kg. The Mue begins with the Printemps and can be spread out over three months. The estival peeling of the Raccoon is short.

The head is broad, the pointed Museau, the eyes black and the short ears (4 to 6 cm and can measure up to 40 cm and its end is always black.

Distribution and habitat S

Originating in North America, the species occupies the south of the Canada and the major part of the the United States, the Mexico and the Central America, in the intertropical zone. It is rarer in the the Antilles. It is absent from certain sectors of the Rocky Mountains because of altitude, the Désert S and the Far North Canadian.

The raccoon attends the mixed Forêt, the forest of Feuillus and the areas agricultural. One finds it in edge of the forests, along the rivers and in the Marécage S under almost all the Latitude S of the North America. It can also live in the city parks and the suburbs.

The territory of the raccoon varies between 1 and 50 km ² according to the human Densité S. The vital domain of a male counts between 2 to 12 females in period of reproduction, Poland and Belgium.

Today, he is regarded as a threat for the Biodiversité and was classified by the the Council of Europe as invasive species whose eradication is advised because of its impact on the local Faune.

Food mode

Omnivorous, the raccoon has a varied food mode but prefers nevertheless the Invertébré S. It feeds also small Mammifère S (muskrats, Mulot S). In summer and autumn, it privileges the Maïs, the fruits, bays, the Gland S and the Noix. In the cities, he excavates in the dustbins which he easily opens with his nimble fingers. It sometimes happens to him to eat Charogne S. Their cry is similar to pépiement of bird. In Switzerland, it is driven out and considered to be undesirable for the natural balance, which means “that which scrapes with its hands”

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