The raccoon is a medium-sized mammal with a robust body covered in dark gray fur, with a face marked by a pronounced black “mask “and a bushy tail with 4-10 black rings. It has short limbs, curved claws, and highly dexterous front paws resembling “hands”, which allow it to open lids and manipulate objects with precision. It is an opportunistic predator and an excellent swimmer and climber, adapted to both natural environments (deciduous, riparian forests) and periurban areas, where it takes advantage of human food waste. Its level of adaptability gives it a remarkable capacity to survive in diverse habitats.
Habits
Primarily active at night (nocturnal), it lives solitarily in territories with multiple shelters (near trees or buildings), but can form temporary family groups; feeds omnivorously and collectively, foraging for fruits, nuts, eggs, invertebrates, fish, and household waste, maintaining an extremely varied diet.
Reproduction
Usually mates between February and June; gestation lasts 63-65 days, resulting in a single annual generation of 3-7 cubs, which stay with the mother through their first winter and become independent the following spring
Distribution
Native to North America (from southern Canada through the USA to northern Mexico), the raccoon was later introduced to Europe (France, Germany, Caucasus) and Japan, establishing itself in various habitats, from riparian forests to urban areas, where it finds food and shelter.
