A charming raccoon-raccoon is a cunning and predatory beast. At times it was referred to as marten, feline and even dog, but in the end a separate individual family appeared - raccoons. Such animals are nocturnal.
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Description of the raccoon
Many are interested in why the raccoon is so called. In fact, everything is very simple. This animal really rinses everything in water. From the outside it looks very funny. It seems that the animal simply erases on the same principle as people. Usually raccoons dip pieces of food into the water and drag them with their paws. But this is not at all an attempt to make tidbits cleaner. It’s just that omnivorous raccoons often catch their prey in thick mud and algae. Squeezing the legs helps them quickly and easily extract food out. But there is another name for the beast under discussion - this is an American raccoon.
- Outwardly, it can be said that the animal resembles a fox or a dog. In people, it usually causes a wave of tenderness with its charming appearance.
- Such animals have short limbs, but with well-developed fingers. We can say that their paws are similar in structure to the hands of a child. Such limbs greatly facilitate the life of the animal in the wild.
- Raccoons have thick hair of different lengths. The color is usually a mixture of brown and gray. The tail is very fluffy with dark rings. The latter can be up to a dozen.
Where it lives in the wild
In Europe, the animal got around the beginning of the last century from North America. Today, the raccoon stripes lives in different parts of the world.For example, you can find it in the forests of Belarus, in Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, France, on the islands of the East Indies, in the Far East and in many other places.
It is interesting that the kids of the “strip” were specially brought to Russia in the middle of the last century. They took root perfectly.
In the afternoon, the animals carefully hide. To do this, they find themselves large hollows, other people's minks or some other structures in which you can safely hide.
Raccoons often steal houses from other inhabitants of the forest.
In the detailed description of the species, it is noted that most of the animals discussed love mixed forests, but exclusively conifers are carefully avoided. They really need water, so there is always some kind of pond nearby, even a small one. Such raccoons usually build their own houses higher from the ground, raising them in different ways by about 25-30 cm. For this, hollow trees are well suited for them.
Raccoons are bold animals and like to "chat" with a person, therefore they often settle not far from settlements. Interestingly, in the US they even spoil the lives of local residents, raiding farms and stealing food. In the southern territories, animals can organize their homes right on the coasts.
How many lives
Experts note that the total lifespan of raccoons is 18 - 20 years, in the apartment - 15 - 16. But these small animals are often attacked by wolves, crocodiles, lynxes, snakes (they are most terrible for raccoon puppies) and even owls. Therefore, they manage to live a full long life in the wild very rarely, usually it is limited to 2-5 years.
But at home it is quite possible to keep such a pet for ten years. If the owner gives his four-legged friend all the necessary vaccinations and carefully monitors his diet, then the raccoon will be able to live at home for more than 15 years.
Lifestyle and habits
As noted above, raccoons mostly sleep during the day. This is true for those cases when they live in the forest.
Next to a person, the habits and lifestyle of the discussed animal can change significantly.
In natural conditions, after dark, the animal goes hunting. Raccoons are loners and need personal space, which they always carefully conquer. If another such animal appears nearby, a “war” for territory begins.
Only the “stripes” that live in the northern regions fall into hibernation. It lasts as long as five months, but the processes of their life activity continue in the previous mode, therefore raccoons do not sleep too hard. If it suddenly warms up on the street in winter, they can even go for a walk, but in general, the animal's body has enough fat deposits accumulated during the warm period for all five months. Raccoons sleep in the hollow at once for several individuals together.
If such an animal feels danger, it becomes aggressive and tries to attack, flees, or pretends to be dead. It all depends on the situation. Raccoons perfectly see in the dark, are able to climb the tops of the tallest trees and even boldly jump down from 10 - 12-meter height.
What the animal eats
These cute fluffy animals are omnivores. Their diet is very diverse. Equally love raccoons and animal and plant foods. Also, the preferences of the discussed predators in food depend on the time of year.
- In the warm period, beetles, mice and other small rodents become a tasty prey for a raccoon.
- Raccoons can even eat a small snake, chicken or chicken.
- A “streak” of a frog or cancer will not refuse if one of them can be caught.
In the process of hunting, the raccoon lowers its paws into the water and begin to feel the bottom of the lake or river. If cancer comes across, then the animal independently splits it on a stone, and then eats it.
In autumn and winter, raccoons love to feast on nuts, acorns, fresh and dried berries. Often, such arrogant, bold animals even climb into a person’s house and steal his supplies. They can even eat small domestic animals.Raccoons especially often penetrate farms, where they always have a lot of goodies. For example, in the USA it is normal to see raccoons in garbage cans.
Species population
By about 12 months old, female raccoons are ready to become mothers. Males need a bit more time for puberty. They are ready to acquire offspring by about 22-24 months.
The mating season of the "strip" falls on the cold season. The males of the discussed animals are polygamous. Therefore, during the mating season, each of them tries to fertilize as many females as possible.
Raccoon pregnancy is rather short. The female is able to fully bear the baby in 9 weeks. At a time, usually no more than 3 to 4 puppies are born. The first days after the birth of raccoon cubs are completely helpless. Since these animals are mammals, the mother first feeds the babies.
They are born blind, so the "strip" takes several weeks to become independent and independent. Only then raccoon puppies stop feeding on mother's milk. As soon as the pups open their eyes, the parents teach them how to get food. Little raccoons quickly learn these lessons and become completely independent.
How to keep at home
Recently, succumbing to fashion, many raccoon raccoons have been kept at home by many families. Such animals appear not only in large private houses, but also in ordinary small-sized city apartments, replacing a dog or a cat.
Having decided to get such a beast at home, you need to study all the possible information about him in order to be ready for possible problems.
- The main one is the raccoon nightlife. If the apartment is small, then the activity of the animal in the dark will definitely disturb the owner’s sleep. This is the most common reason why breeders still decide to give their pet to the zoo or release it into the natural habitat.
- We must not forget that the animals in question need to rinse everything. For example, a valuable gadget or documents can fall into their clutches. Do not be surprised if your passport suddenly becomes completely wet and torn.
- These animals practically cannot be trained. Their wild instincts always prevail. The animal may suddenly, for some reason, begin to scratch, rush, bite. Such animals are especially aggressive during the mating season. At this time, it is dangerous to leave them alone with young children. A raccoon can bite or scratch your face severely.
But raccoons very touchingly copy the habits of their master. They love to play and have fun, for example, using children's toys - rattles, balls.
The animals in question are large neat. They carefully monitor themselves and do not smell like, for example, dogs. However, they are almost impossible to accustom to the tray. A raccoon will definitely mark its territory.
It will not work to keep other pets along with these animals. For example, a guinea pig or a parrot can eat a raccoon.
Interesting facts about the raccoon
There are many interesting facts about raccoons:
- Everyone loves to try these animals for a tooth. If they live at home, they will certainly appreciate the taste of books, jewelry, toys, furniture, textiles.
- Raccoons are cunning and vindictive. There are cases when they lured, for example, a dog unfriendly to them on thin ice, just to take revenge.
- Such animals easily find their favorite "goodies." They can open both plastic and glass containers, even if they have reliable locks.
Surprisingly, the "strip" will never give up alcohol. Sometimes they deliberately make their way to residential buildings in search of alcohol. The main weakness of raccoons is beer.
Striped raccoon is a very funny animal, which is fascinating to watch. But it’s better to do it in vivo.Living in an apartment for any wild animal, if it does not have any kind of defect or health problems, is undeniably worse than life in nature.
