Raccoons (Procyon lotor)

Rodents and Related Critters Wild Animals

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are commonly recognized as the tidy, masked animal bandits that make their home around residential areas.

They can grow to the size of a medium-sized dog and often make a nuisance of themselves when they adopt a house, and embark on a redecorating effort by pulling off siding and such in order to make room for their family.

Raccoons are primarily nocturnal animals with healthy appetites. These traits also pose problems for homeowners because of the raccoon propensity to tip over garbage cans and eat from gardens. In extreme cases, raccoons also exhibit overly agressive behavior with small pets.

Often people associate rabies with raccoons. While they can spread rabies, their ability to spread Raccoon Roundworms represents their most serious public health threat.

Raccoons fair less well in wild settings than residential settings where they have less easy access to food and face predation threats from larger animals.

Apart from their appealing appearance, they should be considered wild animals versus adopted family pets. Tennessee, for example, considers them the state's official wild animal.

© 2008 Patricia A. Michaels