Raccoon - Wildlife

Appearance

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are 2.5 to 4 feet long (nose to tail) and weigh 10 to 30 lbs. Body color ranges from grayish-yellow to gray and white with a black face mask and black ringed tail.

Behavior

Raccoons are nocturnal and primarily active at night. Raccoons are a target species for rabies. Call Animal Control to report raccoons exhibiting unusual or aggressive behavior.

Raccoons breed in February or March. Gestation is 9 weeks. Raccoons establish dens and young are born in April and May. Young often stay with their mother the first year and den together over winter. Young raccoons become independent the following spring.

Diet

Raccoons are omnivorous. A natural diet includes fruits, berries, plants, grains and nuts, insects, fish, invertebrates, frogs, turtles, small mammals, birds and eggs. A modified diet can include pet food, garbage, and bird feeder seeds.