A North American omnivore with dexterous front paws, a black face mask and a ringed tail. Its most important sense is touch, through extremely sensitive front paws.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?Can be
It can carry rabies, and a roundworm found in about 60% of adults can cause fatal brain damage in people.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Usually nocturnal; young raccoons forage with their mother at night.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
Eaten in some areas, and hunted mostly for fur.
At a glance
Found inNorth America, Europe, Asia
HabitatForest, Towns, Wetland
ColoursGrey, Black
SizeMedium
Length60–95 cm
Weight1.8–10.4 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for2–3 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- North America, and since the mid-20th century also central Europe, the Caucasus and Japan, from escapes and introductions.
- What it eats
- Usually nocturnal and omnivorous: about 40% invertebrates, 33% plants and 27% vertebrates.
Did you know
Most of what it 'sees' with its hands comes through touch.
Wild raccoons live only 1.8–3.1 years on average, though captive ones have passed 20.
Often confused with
- Raccoon dog
A raccoon dog is a fox-like wild dog from East Asia, named for its raccoon-like face markings. It’s most closely related to foxes.
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