The furry little animal with the noticeable black bandit mask is called the raccoon. They have a ring tail which is fluffy and has four to six rings on it. Their fur is a grayish brown with black markings, and is soft and plush.

They grow to become about 2.5 feet long and weigh roughly 12-16 pounds but can reach up to 30 pounds. Most raccoons live to be about 5 to 6 years of age but some have been known to live for 15 years.

Raccoons walk much like humans and bears walk, which is called the heel to toe style. They are native to North and South America. The raccoons? track are similar to a small human hand.

The Algonquin word, ?arakun?, means ?one who scratches with his hands?. This is where the raccoon got its name. They are also known as ?coons?.

Kits, which are baby raccoons, are born around two months after the parents mate. Usually the mother will have 1-6 kits. The kits will stay in a high tree hole and will then move to lower ground where they will start to learn how to hunt and explore. Raccoons are known to live in fissures in rocks, burrows, hollow trees, and caves. You will usually find water close at hand.

Raccoons will consume just about anything, including frogs, mice, insects, berries, crayfish, fresh water mussels, birds? eggs, and crops grown in human gardens. A rubbish container is a spot that a raccoon loves to explore to find food. They have long fingers which permit them to open such items as doors and rubbish bins.

A raccoon?s presence in a garden can be noticed when corn stalks are pushed down. They will stand against a corn stalk to knock it down and then consume the ears whilst the stalk is lying on the ground. It is not unusual for a raccoon to wash its food before eating it.

If a raccoon is cornered it frequently tries to escape by finding a tree or turning to bay in water where they are known to drown predators. Their foremost predators are humans or dogs. The raccoon is hunted primarily at night. Their pelts are valued to make sumptuous coats, hats, and mittens. Their meat is also valued by some individuals.

Raccoons are very social animals, which leaves them liable to communicable illnesses such as distemper and rabies, the later of which can get transmitted to humans. If a raccoon is seen acting strangely, particularly in day light hours, they ought to not be approached because this is frequently a sign that something is wrong with the animal.

Pesky raccoons may be caught in no-kill, cage traps and transported to other areas. But be careful, the same trap that will catch a raccoon will also catch a skunk. The best way to keep raccoons away is to be sure there is no food lying about to attract them, this includes dog and cat food.

A raccoon can become a good pet but they do require much time and patience. One should always bear in mind that they are wild animals and one should stay careful at all times.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with distemper in raccoons. If you want to know more, please visit our site at Distemper Vaccines