Raccoon Facts

About the raccoon

As the largest member of its family, the raccoon reaches 40 to 70 cm in body length and 5 to 26 kg in weight. Thick gray underfur keeps it warm in cold weather. It is mostly active at night, and its meals break down to about 40% invertebrates, 33% plants and 27% vertebrates. Studies show raccoons can remember how to solve a task for at least three years.

Deciduous and mixed forests were its original home, but the animal has spread into mountains, coastal marshes and cities, where some homeowners see it as a pest. Escapes and planned releases in the mid-20th century carried raccoons to central Europe, the Caucasus and Japan. Related females often share an area, while unrelated males may live together in groups.

Did you know?

• Since 2016, the European Union has listed the raccoon as an invasive species of concern.
• The raccoon's mask, paws and ringed tail appear in Indigenous myths of the Americas.
• Raccoon is sometimes spelled racoon.