Raccoon Wallpaper

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The raccoon sometimes spelled racoon also known as the common raccoon North American raccoon or northern raccoon is a medium-sized mammal native to North America. The raccoon is the largest of the procyonid family having a body length of 40 to 70 cm and a body weight of 5 to 26 kg. Its grayish coat mostly consists of dense underfur which insulates it against cold weather. Three of the raccoon's most distinctive features are its extremely dexterous front paws its facial mask and its ringed tail which are themes in the mythologies of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Raccoons are noted for their intelligence with studies showing that they are able to remember the solution to tasks for at least three years. They are usually nocturnal and omnivorous eating about 40% invertebrates 33% plants and 27% vertebrates.

The original habitats of the raccoon are deciduous and mixed forests, but due to their adaptability they have extended their range to mountainous areas coastal marshes, and urban areas where some homeowners consider them to be pests. As a result of escapes and deliberate introductions in the mid-20th century raccoons are now also distributed across much of mainland Europe Caucasus and Japan.

Though previously thought to be generally solitary there is now evidence that raccoons engage in gender-specific social behavior. Related females often share a common area while unrelated males live together in groups of up to four animals to maintain their positions against foreign males during the mating season and other potential invaders. Home range sizes vary anywhere from 3 hectares for females in cities to 5,000 hectares for males in prairies. After a gestation period of about 65 days two to five young known as kits are born in spring. The kits are subsequently raised by their mother until dispersal in late fall. Although captive raccoons have been known to live over 20 years their life expectancy in the wild is only 1.8 to 3.1 years. In many areas hunting and vehicular injury are the two most common causes of death.