Racoon Ramblings
A few days ago, I was visiting a state park and suddenly noticed this little guy walking on top of a dumpster. Using his head he opened the dumpster, climbed inside for a moment, and came out with a meal to eat. Quite a moment!
Not knowing much about racoons, I did a little research. Here are some things I learned:
[1] Adults can weigh up to 21 pounds. The largest one on record is 61 pounds.
[2] They have short life spans. In the wild, some of them live 12 years. The longest life on record for a racoon in captivity is 21 years.
[3] Their mating season is in January, and their babies are born in the Spring. Baby racoons are called “kits.” The males play no role whatsoever in raising them.
[4] They are capable of unlocking doors.
[5] They clean all of their food before they eat it. If you give one a sugar cube, he will clean it and wash it until it dissolves into nothing.
[6] They eat plants and animals.
[7] They never live more than 1,200 feet from a permanent water source.
November 1st, 2009 at 8:54 PM
We saw a raccoon at the park today too- with 3 babies. The mama was in the dumpster- rattling around so loud I went to look in- she was staring back. Later, the wondered on over to the pavilions for some snacks. They are cute from afar- not so cute when you see their claws!