Raccoons are mostly grey but have easily recognizable black and white markings on their face which resemble a mask and have clearly visible black rings on their tails. Raccoons' social behavior is variable and somewhat unpredictable. Many females will isolate themselves from male raccoons when raising young to avoid aggressive males killing their babies. Both males and females will regularly interact socially with members of they same sex that they are related to.
Raccoons can be eaten by mountain lions, coyotes, or bobcats. Raccoons are very omnivorous and adventurous eaters who are known for going through trash cans and dumpsters. They are pretty skilled at getting into dumpsters. But in more rural areas they also eat a variety of vegetation, insects, and small animals such as crawfish. Their willingness to eat such a huge variety of things has helped them to adapt to living in both rural and urban settings. Despite frequent clashes with vehicles, they are not considered threatened or endangered and tend to thrive even when living near humans.
Did You Know?
The black stripes on a raccoon’s face help reduce glare and help them see better! This is why athletes will sometimes paint black bars across their cheeks!
Raccoons sleep for days or weeks at a time during winter in a state called torpor which is similar to hibernation. They do slow down their heart rate, breathing, and metabolism just like hibernation, but it is often for shorter periods of time than hibernation.
