We own three properties across this varied country, each in a different life zone: a suburban home in central Missouri, a small farm in the semi-arid landscape of the Colorado Front Range and a condo on a barrier island off Sarasota, Florida. There is only one mammal, other than humans, that I regularly see in all of these settings: the common raccoon. While they prefer riparian woodlands, raccoons adapt to a wide variety of urban and rural habitats.
After mating in January or February, the female usually selects a den in a tree cavity or natural cave. However, as many of us know, raccoons also settle for attics, chimneys, barns and abandoned buildings. A litter of kits, averaging 4-5, are born in April or May and stay with their mom through the summer; by fall, they are able to fend for themselves and some females will actually breed that first winter. Raccoons are omniverous, feeding on berries, nuts, corn, eggs, insects, crayfish, amphibians, carrion and small mammals. They feast on fallen apples and pears on our farm in Colorado and scour the tidal flats of southern Florida for clams, crabs and trapped fish. Of course, they also raid dumpsters, garbage cans and pet food containers.
Natural enemies include coyotes, mountain lions, alligators and great horned owls; raccoons are also hunted and trapped by humans and, as we all know, many are killed on our highways. Despite these threats, this clever, masked mammal is one of our true survivors.
