Sitting in the shade on our Littleton, Colorado, farm, I was surprised to see a raccoon wandering about our backyard. Since they are primarily nocturnal, I generally encounter raccoons very early or late in the day or am awakened at night by their squabbling. To see a raccoon just before noon on a hot, sunny day was thus unusual.
Raccoons do tend to be solitary creatures for most of the year though they may gather in small same-sex groups. Mating occurs from January to March and a litter of 2-5 kits is typical. The mother and her offspring disperse by late summer and at least half of the kits will be dead within a year, usually succumbing to starvation, predation or automobiles. Adults rarely live longer than three years in the wild.
Our solitary visitor seemed to have emerged from the barn, beneath which he is likely denning. Due to their poor long-distance eyesight, he did not take notice of my presence as he scoured the shrub line and "lawn" for fruit, various invertebrates or mice. Once he disappeared into our "wild corner," consisting of a compost bin, a brush pile and overgrown vegetation, I went inside to let him hunt in peace.
