Is that a raccoon?

 

 

Sometimes raccoons are blamed for damage they don’t do (it might be your neighbor’s dog who’s rummaging in the trash).General Raccoon Facts :

  • Scientific Name: Procyon lotor

  • Average Size: 12" tall; 24-38" long; 14-23 lbs.

  • Average Lifespan in the Wild: 2-3 years

Identifying Features: Gray fur with a black mask and 4-7 black rings around its tail; pointy snout with a black nose; dexterous front paws.

Fun Facts About Raccoons

  • A raccoon will rinse its food in water prior to eating it. When there is no water close by, a raccoon will still rub its food to remove debris.

  • Cats cannot taste sweet foods, due to a lack of sweet taste buds.

  • Some hypothesize that the purpose of a raccoon's black mask is to reduce glare, helping it to see better in the dark.

  • A group of raccoons is called a nursery.

  • Although raccoons only live 2-3 years in the wild, a raccoon can live up to 20 years in captivity.

 

The first step to take is to make sure it’s a raccoon you’re dealing with. Look at the clock: If you hear sounds in the house or the trash is knocked over during the day, it’s probably not a raccoon who’s causing you concern.

But if the sounds in your house start at dusk and then again around dawn, you may very well have a visitor of the raccoon kind.

Read the signs

In your yard, there are other signs you can look for to determine if a raccoon may be stopping by, although signs of a raccoon don't necessarily mean that the raccoon has committed any misdeeds.






 

 

Here are some signs to help identify a raccoon problem:

 

  • tipped trash cans

  • raided bird feeders

  • pilfered gardens

  • damaged crops (ex. chewed sweet corn, hollowed out watermelons)

  • uncapped chimneys

  • torn shingles

  • raccoon tracks: five long toes and fingers resembling human hands

 

Tracks

The raccoon’s track is hand-shaped and can usually be seen on light surfaces or where the ground is soft enough for their paws to leave an impression. Like bears, they walk on their entire paws, not just the toes, like some other animals.

Rub marks

A noticeable stain or rub may be seen on surfaces that raccoons pass frequently. Other animals can leave such stains as well so seeing the raccoon’s “handprints” on climbable surfaces is a more reliable sign of their presence.

Scat

Raccoon scats vary widely in size, depending upon the raccoon’s age and in content—which is often quite evident, depending on what has been eaten. Typically though they are about 3/4” in diameter and 2-3” long, with segmenting and blunt ends.

Scat stations—also called latrines—are places where one animal has repeatedly left scat or multiple animals have done so. Unfortunately, these are sometimes established on roofs and in attics. Due to the potential of roundworm presence, raccoon latrines should be cleaned up by a hazardous waste professional.





Raccoon Behavior :





  • Activity: Nocturnal in nature, raccoons are mostly active at nighttime. They are most active in spring, summer and fall, and will sleep in their dens for most of the winter.

  • Reproduction: Reproduction begins in late winter. Females, or sows, usually give birth to 1-6 baby kits in April or May. Mothers are very protective of their young until they separate after about a year.

  • Social Interaction: Raccoons are independent after 12-14 months of age. Adults live in loose knit communities of 4 - 5 raccoons for better protection against predators.

  • Communication: Raccoons communicate with each other using over 200 different sounds and 12-15 different calls.

  • Skills: Raccoons possess amazing dexterity that gives them the ability to open doors, jars, bottles and latches. They are also great climbers, which allows them to better access food and shelter.







Raccoons sometimes get into scraps with cats and they may occasionally prey on small animals housed outside, such as chickens and rabbits.





When no other food is available, raccoons might even prey upon kittens and small cats, but other times, they can be seen eating side-by-side when cats are fed outdoors.





Feeding pets outside is probably the most common reason that raccoons come into contact with them.





Fight or flight

Healthy raccoons are unlikely to pick a fight with a dog, but dogs sometimes chase raccoons. Sick or injured raccoons, cornered mothers protecting their young and orphaned baby raccoons are most likely to be victims of dog attacks. If caught by a dog, a raccoon may fight back to defend herself, and both the dog and raccoon can be injured.





How to stop raccoons from using your pet door





Raccoon rules

To reduce the chances of your pets having a close encounter with a raccoon, follow these simple rules:





Keep pet rabbits and cats indoors at all times. 

If cats or dogs are fed outside, do so only by day and remove food immediately.

Don’t allow dogs to roam unsupervised and unleashed.

These practices are good for your pet, whether or not they're likely to come into contact with a raccoon. Keep your pets' vaccinations up-to-date and if your pet does encounter a raccoon, check with your vet about what to do.








Raccoons often leave their feces in communal sites called latrines.



Because raccoons are the primary host of Baylisascaris procyanis, a roundworm that can harm people, and the roundworm eggs may be present in raccoon feces, their latrines should be removed and cleaned up whenever they might pose a health hazard.  This the task requires extreme caution.

Where might a raccoon latrine be? If not around the base of a tree or on a log, rock, stump or woodpile, a raccoon latrine may be in an attic, garage, roof, deck or patio.

Raccoon latrines in or near a dwelling should be are considered a potential health hazard.

Best left to the professionals

It is safest to hire a professional to do the cleanup, but if you must do it yourself, follow the CDC’s recommendations [PDF] for doing it as safely as possible.

Wear disposable gloves and either rubber boots that can be scrubbed or disposable booties that cover your shoes.

Wear a N95-rated respirator (available at hardware stores).

Use a spray bottle to mist the area to be cleaned up with water to minimize the dust that may be stirred up while cleaning up the latrine.

Remove feces and feces-contaminated material using a shovel or inverted plastic bag; then, burn, bury or bag it and send it to a landfill.

If outside, treat feces-soiled surfaces with boiling water.

If inside, repeatedly wipe the feces-contaminated area with a damp sponge, rinsing the sponge frequently in a bucket of hot, soapy water. Flush the water down the toilet when done.

Disinfect the shovel and bucket with boiling water. Place the sponge in a plastic bag and throw it away.

Scrub boots with hot soapy water or throw away disposable booties in a plastic bag.

Dispose of gloves in a plastic bag and wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm running water.

Wash clothing thoroughly with hot water and detergent, and wash hands again after putting clothing into the wash.

Do not bring wood on which raccoon feces have been found into the house. Burn such logs outside.






Raccoons and public health






Raccoons—along with foxes (red and gray), skunks, and bats—are considered a primary carrier of the rabies virus in the United States. While any warm-blooded animal can carry rabies, these are the ones we call “rabies vector species.”





According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only one human has ever died from the raccoon strain of rabies.





A rabid raccoon is usually dead within 1-3 days of becoming infectious, and even if you're bitten by a rabid raccoon, effective post-exposure treatment is available.





Is that raccoon rabid?

If you see a raccoon in your yard during the day, don’t panic—she is not necessarily sick or dangerous. It’s perfectly normal for raccoons to be active throughout the day. She may merely be foraging longer hours to support her young, visiting a garden while the dogs are indoors, or moving to a new location.







Raccoon roundworm

Another growing concern is a roundworm (Baylisascaris) found in raccoon feces that can infect humans and pets. Prevention is the key here. Keep raccoons out of attics and crawl spaces, and supervise young children and pets outdoors to make sure they don’t come into contact with raccoon feces. And if you find evidence of a raccoon latrine, make sure you clean it up properly.





Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is caused by a bacteria that can infect raccoons, skunks, opossums, Norway rats, mice, and white-tailed deer. Humans may be exposed if they come into contact with infected urine or contaminated soil and water. Avoid touching wild animals. If contact is necessary to get a raccoon out of your house, call in a professional.





Attacks and bites

It isn’t uncommon for a healthy raccoon to be active in the daytime, but it's highly unusual for a raccoon to be aggressive toward a person. A female may boldly defend her young, arching her back and growling or giving a loud “whoof,” and perhaps lunging at a person she deems threatening. Only very rarely will a raccoon chase after someone seen as threatening.





A raccoon who appears ill or disoriented, or who engages in unprovoked aggression, may be rabid or infected with canine distemper or feline parvovirus. If you come into contact with a wild animal, obtain professional assistance from your local animal control agency and health department.