Raccoons are easily recognizable by their black face mask and ringed tail. And there are many fascinating things about this intelligent nocturnal species. So we’ve compiled some of the best raccoon pictures to show you just how amazing and unique they are.
Raccoon Face
One of the most distinctive physical characteristics of the raccoon is its face. And in particular, the black markings around its eyes make it look like it’s wearing a bandit mask. It is believed that this helps reduce glare, therefore, improving its night vision.
Raccoon Washing Food
An interesting raccoon fact is that this species likes to douse or wash its food. They do this by dunking it in the water and then rolling it around in their front paws. In suburban areas where there are no streams, ponds, or lakes, a raccoon may use a swimming pool to clean its food.
Cute Raccoon
Raccoons are very cute when they’re young. This is often the reason people take them in when they find them abandoned or when their mother has been killed by a vehicle. However, despite their adorable fluffy appearance, even baby raccoons can carry diseases such as rabies.
Therefore if you find one of these cute little guys in need of help you’ll want to contact animal control or a permitted wildlife rehabilitator to make sure they get the best care possible. Also, remember that in many places it is illegal to possess a raccoon for any reason.
Raccoon Hands
Raccoon paws look very similar to human hands except they don’t actually have an opposable thumb. These paws are agile and often help them to open doors, unscrew jars, and get into trash bins. They are also very sensitive since the raccoon heavily relies on its sense of touch.
Raccoon In Trash
The raccoon is famous for its habit of raiding trash cans and causing a huge mess for homeowners. To help prevent these well-known backyard pests from getting into your garbage you’ll want to choose trash cans with locking lids. Although keeping them in a closed garage or secure area would be even better.
Raccoons In The Attic
It’s not uncommon for raccoons to nest in attics. Unfortunately, they can do a lot of costly damage when trying to get in and once they are inside. Raccoons are not houseguests you want. In addition to carrying diseases, their waste can also carry parasites such as roundworms that can be passed on to humans.
Baby Raccoon
Normally raccoons give birth from two to five babies in a litter. The babies are born with their masks however they are both deaf and blind for several weeks afterward. Baby raccoons are called kits or cubs and live in the den with their mother for the first two months of their lives.
Raccoon Dog
The raccoon dog is not a raccoon or a dog. This close relative of the fox gets its name because it looks like a raccoon. It has a very similar black mask and markings on its fur. It’s also similar in size and like the raccoon is nocturnal. The raccoon dog is native to Eastern Asia including Japan.
Young Raccoon
When a raccoon is around twelve weeks it usually will start to roam but is not yet ready to leave its mother. However, at anywhere from eight to twelve months a juvenile raccoon will become much more independent and eventually move off on its own.
Pet Raccoon
While some people do keep raccoons as pets, this is a species that’s better left in the wild. The raccoon is not a domesticated animal and is known for being very difficult to teach commands. They can also cause expensive damage in a home and typically become also aggressive around the mating season. In many places keeping a raccoon as a pet is illegal while in others an exotic pet permit is required.
Raccoon Removal
There are quite a few situations that raccoons get themselves into that require them to be humanely trapped and removed. This is often the case when they get into places such as attics, garages, and chimneys.
Because they do like to eat pond fish backyard pond owners may have them removed as well. However, in certain situations deterrents such as an alligator decoy, motion sensor sprinkler, or motion sensor lights can be effective without having to actually trap and relocate the animal.
White Raccoon
Albino raccoons are born without pigmentation which means they are white with pink eyes. Unfortunately, they typically don’t live long after birth since it’s much easier for predators to spot them. An albino raccoon is incredibly rare. In fact other than in raccoon pictures you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than actually seeing one in the wild. It’s estimated that only 1 in 750,000 raccoons is born albino.
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