Raccoons

Raccoons are gray, masked, nocturnal mammals with ringed tails and nimble front paws, found in every lower-48 state. They're not rodents, they don't truly hibernate, and they eat nearly anything. Around homes they raid trash, tear into attics and are a major carrier of rabies and raccoon roundworm.

They're also smart, strong and persistent, which is why a raccoon problem tends to escalate if the first fix is half-hearted. This page covers how they live; for removal see how to get rid of raccoons.

What raccoons look like

• Size: 24-38 inches long including an 8-12 inch tail; typically 10-30 pounds, northern raccoons heavier than southern ones.
• Face: the black "bandit" mask across the eyes, outlined in white.
• Tail: bushy, with 4-7 dark rings.
• Paws: five long, flexible fingers on the front feet; tracks look like small human handprints.
• Gait: hunched, waddling walk; they climb trees, downspouts and siding with ease.

Are raccoons rodents?

No. They're in the order Carnivora, family Procyonidae, together with ringtails and coatis. Their teeth are those of an omnivorous carnivore, not the ever-growing chisel incisors of rodents like squirrels and rats.

Where do raccoons live?

Everywhere from southern Canada to Panama, in forests, marshes, farmland and especially cities, where densities can be many times higher than in the wild. Natural dens are hollow trees, rock crevices and abandoned burrows. Around homes they use:

• Attics (often entering by tearing up roof vents, soffits or shingles)
• Chimneys (a favorite birthing spot)
• Crawl spaces and the space under decks, porches and sheds
• Storm drains, garages and barns

Are raccoons nocturnal?

Mostly yes: they forage from dusk to dawn. Seeing a raccoon in daylight doesn't automatically mean rabies; mothers with young often forage by day in spring and summer. Worry if it's staggering, circling, unusually tame or aggressive, or seems partly paralyzed.

What do raccoons eat?

Raccoons are opportunistic omnivores. In the wild: crayfish, frogs, fish, snails, insects and grubs, worms, bird and turtle eggs, mice, fruits, berries, acorns and nuts. What they like to eat around houses:

• Garbage and pet food (top attractants)
• Sweet corn, melons, grapes, tree fruit
• Bird seed and suet
• Koi and goldfish in garden ponds
• Lawn grubs: torn-up sod in late summer is often raccoons digging for them
• Chickens and eggs

Do raccoons eat chickens? Yes, often. They reach through chicken wire, open simple latches and typically kill several birds, sometimes eating only heads or crops. Do raccoons eat cats? Rarely. Fights over food bowls happen and can injure a cat; kittens and small pets are at real risk.

Do raccoons hibernate?

No. In the North they fatten up in fall and may sleep in a den for long stretches in deep cold (torpor), losing up to half their body weight, but they come out on warmer nights. In the South they're active all year.

Raccoon babies

• Mating: January to March.
• Births: about 63 days later, mostly March through June; a late second litter is possible.
• Litter: usually 2-5 kits, born furred with eyes closed.
• Kits leave the den at about 8-10 weeks and stay with the mother through fall.

This is when raccoons most often move into attics and chimneys: a pregnant female is looking for a safe, dry nursery. If you hear chirping, whining or purring sounds from the chimney or attic in spring, assume babies. Don't seal the entry until they're all out.

A group of raccoons is called a gaze; a mother with her young is often called a nursery.

How long do raccoons live?

On average 2-3 years in the wild; few make it past 5. Cars, distemper, hunting and trapping cause most deaths. In captivity they can live up to 20 years.

Are raccoons dangerous?

Usually not aggressive, but they're strong, have sharp teeth and claws, and will fight if cornered or protecting kits. The bigger risks are diseases:

• Rabies. Raccoons are one of the main US wildlife carriers, with the raccoon variant concentrated in the eastern states. Never approach or feed one. If bitten or scratched, wash the wound with soap and water for several minutes and contact a doctor or the health department right away. Vaccinate pets.
• Raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis). Eggs in raccoon feces can survive for years in soil and cause rare but severe brain and eye infections, mostly in young children who put dirt in their mouths. Raccoons use shared latrines: piles of droppings on decks, flat roofs, woodpiles, attic insulation or at the base of trees. Don't touch them; see how to clean them safely on the removal page.
• Leptospirosis in urine, and distemper, which doesn't infect people but makes raccoons act strangely and can spread to unvaccinated dogs.
• Fleas, ticks and mites carried into attics.

Damage raccoons cause

• Torn roof vents, soffits, shingles and fascia; ripped ductwork and soiled insulation in attics
• Nests in chimneys
• Tipped trash and scattered garbage
• Rolled-back sod and dug-up lawns
• Raided gardens, fish ponds and chicken coops
• Pet doors used as an entry into kitchens

Raccoon vs opossum vs skunk

• Opossum: white face, naked rat-like tail, no mask.
• Skunk: black and white, smaller, slow, and digs shallow cone-shaped holes in lawns (raccoons roll sod back in strips).
• Raccoon: mask, ringed tail, hand-like tracks.

When to call a pro

Call a licensed wildlife control operator for raccoons in an attic, chimney or wall, a mother with kits, latrines in the attic, or an animal acting sick (also call animal control). Many states restrict trapping and relocating raccoons because of rabies, so DIY trapping may be illegal where you live.