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Raccoon

Procyon lotor

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a medium-sized, mostly nocturnal, omnivorous mammal in the family Procyonidae, native to North America (ranging from Canada through much of the United States and into Central America). It’s best known for its black facial “mask,” ringed tail, and highly dexterous forepaws: each front foot has five nimble toes used to grasp and manipulate food and objects. Adults vary a lot by region and season, but are typically about 75–90 cm (30–36 in) long including the tail, and often weigh around 10 kg (22 lb) or less (large males can exceed 20 kg). Their coat includes a soft, insulating underfur plus longer guard hairs that help shed moisture and cold. Raccoons are considered intelligent and adaptable problem-solvers; field experiments show they can improve at food-extraction tasks over repeated trials and retain learned solutions across seasons, with retention documented over many months (often approaching a year).

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a medium-sized, mostly nocturnal, omnivorous mammal in the family Procyonidae, native to North America (ranging from Canada through much of the United States and into Central America). It’s best known for its black facial “mask,” ringed tail, and highly dexterous forepaws: each front foot has five nimble toes used to grasp and manipulate food and objects. Adults vary a lot by region and season, but are typically about 75–90 cm (30–36 in) long including the tail, and often weigh around 10 kg (22 lb) or less (large males can exceed 20 kg). Their coat includes a soft, insulating underfur plus longer guard hairs that help shed moisture and cold. Raccoons are considered intelligent and adaptable problem-solvers; field experiments show they can improve at food-extraction tasks over repeated trials and retain learned solutions across seasons, with retention documented over many months (often approaching a year).