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Raccoons are small to medium sized mammals with
short legs and distinctive markings.
Raccoon Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Procyonidae
Genus: Procyon
Species: lotor
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Other Names: Racoon, Masked Bandit,
Raccoon in Foreign Languages:
Armenian: jrarj
Azeri: yenot
Basque: mapatxe
Belarusian: janót
Bulgarian: enót
Catalan: ós rentador
Cherokee: gvli
Chinese Mandarin: huànxióng
Czech: mýval
Danish: vaskebjørn
Dutch: wasbeer
Esperanto: lav-urso
Estonian: pesukaru
Finnish: pesukarhu
French: raton laveur
German: Waschbär / Schupp
Hindi: raikun
Hungarian: mosómedve
Icelandic: þvottabjörn
Indonesian: rakun
Italian: procione / orsetto lavatore
Japanese: araiguma
Lakota: wica
Latvian: jenots
Luxembourgish: Wäschbier
Macedonian: rakún
Navajo: tábaah ma'ii
Norwegian: vaskebjørn
Ojibwe: esiban
Polish: szop
Portuguese: guaxinim
Romanian: raton
Russian: jenót
Roman: rakun
Slovak: mýval
Slovene: rakun
Spanish: mapache / oso lavador
/ zorra manglera / gato manglatero
Swedish: tvättbjörn
Turkish: rakun
Ukrainian: jenót
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Species: There are 6 recognized species of raccoon.
Size: Raccoons measure up to 3 feet in length
and they weigh 8 to 20 lbs, with a bushy tail measuring
8-12 inches in length.
Habitat: Raccoons are native to North and South
America. Raccoons prefer living in heavily wooded areas
near a water source like rivers, lakes, or streams.
Raccoons are also found in coastal marshes, mountainous
areas, and even urban areas.
Description: Raccoons are known for their distinctive
black "masks" and ringed tails. Raccoons have
a level of dexterity that is close to that of an ape.
Raccoons have stocky bodies and short legs.
Behavior: Raccoons are nocturnal. Raccoon mothers
are extremely aggressive when defending their young.
Diet: Raccoons are opportunistic feeders. Raccoons
will eat fruit, insects, berries, nuts, eggs, small
rodents, grapes, corn, crabs, crayfish, they will also
feed on garbage and trash cans in urban areas.
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Communication: Raccoonsare able to produce
over two hundred different sounds that they use
for communication.
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Did You Know?
The raccoon gets its name from the
Algonquin word arakun which means "one
who scratches with his hands."
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Gestation: Raccoons carry their young for approximately
two months.
Birth: Raccoons nest in tree hollows or empty
underground dens, they will also make their homes in
"urban" areas using their environment to meet
their needs. Raccoons give birth to litters of 3 to
6 kits at a time.
Sexually Mature: Female raccoons become sexually
mature at one year of age, while male raccoons are sexually
mature at the age of two.
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Life Span: Raccoons can live up to 15
years in the wild, but most only live for 5 to
6 years.
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Did You Know?
Raccoons are exceptional climbers.
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Social Structure: Adult raccoons are solitary,
unless they are rearing their young.
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