9 Amazing Facts About Raccoons You Must Know
Raccoons are omnivorous, which means they eat both meat and vegetables. A raccoon's food will consist of nuts, berries, fruit, seeds, insects, small animals, and bird eggs.
A raccoon's most distinguishing trait (or one of the most... more on that later!) is its human-like ability to grip and open bins, gates, and sheds. Native Americans observed their smart small hands.
More name information! The Latin word for a raccoon is procyon lotor, which means "washerman." This is because they frequently wash their food before eating it, and they perform washing motions even when there is no water!
Raccoons may be found across North and Central America, with the exception of deserts and some areas of the Rocky Mountains, and they can live in a wide range of habitats!
It is estimated that there are six distinct species of raccoons, with the procyon lotor being the most common and easily identifiable.
The stylish bandit masks that are raccoons' most recognizable trait are functional! Black absorbs light, therefore athletes put dark stickers under their eyes to block the sun's glare.
Raccoons are smart if fed! In the early 1900s, researcher H.B. Davis presented 12 raccoons boxes containing rewards locked with sophisticated locks, bolts, latches, and levers.
These people are crafty! The Toronto researcher Suzanne McDonald implanted some city raccoons with GPS collars. Raccoons avoided major junctions, which is wise if you want to avoid being roadkill!
This is because people brought them over, not because they migrated naturally from the Americas. Raccoons were introduced to Europe in the 1920s for fur farming (more on that later).