Raccoon—Procyon lotor

Raccoons are mammals; they are found in riparian areas along streams, lakes, marshes, swamps, farmland, and in suburban neighborhoods and in urban areas where they can find adequate food, water, and shelter. The raccoon is omnivorous which means they eat both plants and animals. Their diet is very broad, consisting of aquatic animals, fruits, nuts, cultivated crops and grains, birdseed, bird eggs, small mammals, birds, and garbage.

Raccoons can be pests by damaging vegetable gardens and crops, by killing poultry, by damaging houses and outbuildings and by raiding garbage cans in search of food.

Before trapping and releasing a wild animal in Maine an Animal Damage Control License must be obtained through Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. They may be contacted via 207-287-8000.


raccoon in bushes
Raccoons have a distinctive black robber's mask across the eyes and black banded tail. The remainder of their body's fur is a grizzly, grayish-brown.

adult raccoon
Adult raccoons generally measure 20-30" long from their nose to the tip of their tail and weigh from 10-35 lbs.

raccoon in tree
Raccoons make a variety of sounds, including barks, hisses and piercing screams.

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[Photos, left to right: Kevin D. Arvin, Bugwood.org; Ricky Layson, Ricky Layson Photography, Bugwood.org; Gerald J. Lenhard, Louisiana State Univ, Bugwood.org]