Sunday, October 18, 2009

Country raccoon


I'm used to seeing these guys in town. Either this is a young raccoon, or the forest version isn't as plump as their city kin.


I first thought that an old forest next to the ocean shore would be rich with food for such a scavenger. But maybe it doesn't measure up to the contents of dumpsters and compost bins in town.
Raccoons can live as long as 16 years in the wild. Most don't make it past their second year, when they become independent of their mother. 


After that, raccoons are solitary animals. They are also nocturnal, though this one had some business keeping it up during the day.


I love their hands. Little primate-style hands on a rodent (I read that they are more closely related to panda bears than anything, but still).  

2 comments:

amy rubin flett said...

funny you post this... i have been seeing many raccoons here, unfortunately mostly killed at the side of the road. they look like this one- small, not hunched and round like the ones i'm used to seeing. is it a different type of raccoon or is that just what they look like when they're not eating wonderbread?

Doreen Pendgracs said...

Great pic, Heather!

I was told by a vet that if you see a skunk or raccoon in the daytime, chances are they may have rabies. So be cautious if you encounter one of these cuties in the middle of the day.

I had two raccoons on my upper deck last year in the middle of the night. Grabbed my camera and got a couple of good shots!