raccoon
from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
for other species called raccoon in the genus procyon, see procyon (genus). for other uses, see raccoon (disambiguation).
raccoon
conservation status
least concern (iucn 3.1)[1]
scientific classification
kingdom: animalia
phylum: chordata
class: mammalia
order: carnivora
family: procyonidae
genus: procyon
species: p. lotor
binomial name
procyon lotor
(linnaeus, 1758)
native range in red, introduced range in blue
synonyms
ursus lotor linnaeus, 1758
the raccoon (pronounced /ræˈkuːn/ ( listen), procyon lotor), sometimes spelled as racoon,[2] also known as the common raccoon,[3] north american raccoon,[4] northern raccoon[5] and colloquially as coon,[6] is a medium-sized mammal native to north america. it is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of 40 to 70 cm (16 to 28 in) and a weight of 31⁄2 to 9 kg (8 to 20 lb). the raccoon is usually nocturnal and is omnivorous, with a diet consisting of about 40% invertebrates, 33% plant foods, and 27% vertebrates. it has a greyish coat, of which almost 90% is dense underfur, which insulates against cold weather. two of its most distinctive features are its extremely dexterous front paws and its facial mask, which are themes in the mythology of several native american tribes. raccoons are noted for their intelligence, with studies showing that they are able to remember the solution to tasks up to three years later.
the original habitats of the raccoon are deciduous and mixed forests of north america, but due to their adaptability they have extended their range to mountainous areas, coastal marshes, and even urban areas, where some homeowners consider them pests. as a result of escapes and deliberate introductions in the mid-20th century, raccoons are now also distributed across the european mainland, the caucasus region and japan.
though previously thought to be 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 50 km2 for males in prairies (7 acres to 20 sq mi). after a gestation period of about 65 days, two to five young are born in spring. the kits are subsequently raised by their mother until dispersion in late fall. although captive raccoons have been known to live over 20 years, their average life expectancy in the wild is only 1.8 to 3.1 years. hunting and traffic accidents are the two most common causes of death in many areas.
contents [hide]
1 etymology
2 taxonomy
3 evolution
4 subspecies
5 description
5.1 physical characteristics
5.2 senses
5.3 intelligence
6 behavior
6.1 social behavior
6.2 diet
6.3 dousing
6.4 reproduction
6.5 life expectancy
7 range
7.1 habitat
7.2 distribution in north america
7.3 distribution outside north america
7.3.1 distribution in germany
7.4 urban raccoons
8 health
9 raccoons and people
9.1 conflicts
9.2 mythology, arts and entertainment
9.3 hunting and fur trade
9.4 foodways
9.5 as pets
10 see also
11 notes
12 references
13 external links
[edit]etymology
the mask of raccoons is often interrupted by a brown-black streak which extends from forehead to nose.[7]
the word raccoon was adopted into english from the native powhatan term, as used in the virginia colony. it was recorded on captain john smith's list of powhatan words as aroughcun, and on that of william strachey as arathkone. it has also been identified as a proto-algonquian root *ahrah-koon-em, meaning "[the] one who rubs, scrubs and scratches with its hands".[8]
similarly, spanish colonists adopted the spanish word mapache from the nahuatl mapachitli of the aztecs, meaning "[the] one who takes everything in its hands".[9] in many languages, the raccoon is named for its characteristic dunking behavior in conjunction with that language's term for bear, for example waschbär in german, orsetto lavatore in italian and araiguma (アライグマ) in japanese. in french, the washing behavior is combined with that language's term for rat, yielding raton laveur.
the colloquial abbreviation coon is used in words like coonskin for fur clothing and in phrases like old coon as a self-designation of trappers.[10] however, the clipped form is also in use as an ethnic slur.[11] the raccoon's scientific name, procyon lotor, is neo-latin, meaning "before-dog washer", with lotor latin for "washer" and procyon latinized greek from προ-, "before" and κύων, "dog".
[edit]taxonomy
in the first decades after its discovery by the members of the expedition of christopher columbus, who was the first person to leave a written record about the species, taxonomists thought the raccoon was related to many different species, including dogs, cats, badgers and particularly bears.[12] carl linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy, placed the raccoon in the genus ursus, first as ursus cauda elongata ("long-tailed bear") in the second edition of his systema naturae, then as ursus lotor ("washer bear") in the tenth edition.[13] in 1780, gottlieb conrad christian storr placed the raccoon in its own genus procyon, which can be translated either to "before the dog" or "doglike".[14] it is also possible that storr had its nocturnal lifestyle in mind and chose the star procyon as eponym for the species.[15]
[edit]evolution
based on fossil evidence from france and germany, the first known members of the family procyonidae lived in europe in the late oligocene about 25 million years ago.[16] similar tooth and skull structures suggest that procyonids and weasels share a common ancestor, but molecular analysis indicates a closer relationship between raccoons and bears.[17] after crossing the bering strait at least six million years later, the center of the then-existing species' distribution was probably in central america.[18] coatis (nasua and nasuella) and raccoons (procyon) have been considered to possibly share common descent from a species in the genus paranasua present between 5.2 and 6.0 mya.[19] this assumption, based on morphological comparisons, conflicts with a 2006 genetic analysis which indicates that raccoons are more closely related to ringtails.[20] unlike other procyonids, such as the crab-eating raccoon (procyon cancrivorus), the ancestors of the common raccoon left tropical and subtropical areas and migrated farther north about 4 mya, a migration that has been confirmed by the discovery of fossils in the great plains dating back to the middle of the pliocene.[21]
[edit]subspecies
raccoon baculum or "penis bone"
the raccoon, whose method of locomotion is usually considered to be plantigrade, can stand on its hind legs to examine objects with its front paws.[40] as raccoons have short legs compared to their compact torso, they are usually not able either to run quickly or jump great distances.[41] their top speed over short distances is 16 to 24 km/h (10 to 15 mph).[42][43] raccoons can swim with an average speed of about 5 km/h (3 mph) and can stay in the water for several hours.[44] for climbing down a tree headfirst, an unusual ability for a mammal of its size, a raccoon rotates its hind feet so that they are pointing backwards.[45] raccoons have a dual cooling system to regulate their temperature; that is they are able to both sweat and pant for heat dissipation.[46] the dentition—40 teeth with the dental formula
dentition
3.1.4.2
3.1.4.2
—is adapted to their omnivorous lifestyle: the carnassials are not as sharp and pointed as those of a full-time carnivore, but the molars are not as wide as those of a herbivore.[47] the penis bone of males is about 10 cm (4 in) long and strongly bent at the front end and is often used by biologists to classify reproductive status of specimens.[48] seven of the thirteen identified vocal calls are used in communication between the mother and her kits, one of these being the birdlike twittering of newborns.[49]
[edit]senses
* *
