Raccoon densities are much higher in urban areas than in wild undeveloped areas. Raccoons have become city animals. They eat garbage, they live in attics. Even very urban areas like Brooklyn NY, and Queens and the Bronx and even Manhattan have dense raccoon populations, just like rats or pigeons.
Wild animals cannot be kept as pets. This is what our common sense tells us. However, if we think, anyone of us sees a wild animal in our premises, what should we do? Do we let them live in the property region or will try to get them out? Off course, the second option is preferable by all of us. It is essential to understand what a raccoon is prior to delving into the finer details about where they live, how they breed, as well as what they eat. In a nut shell, this is a medium-sized mammal that belongs to the procyonid family. It has a body length of between 40-70cm and a weight that falls within 3.5kg-9kg. Overall, they are quite intelligent and research shows that they have a memory that can last up to 3 years. It’s a fact that most used to live in the wild, but the trend has since changed and presently a large number of raccoons forage in the urban areas.
The fact that urban areas have encroached in areas that used to be the habitat of raccoons have made these animals adapt to this kind of life. In most cases, these animals like to live in areas that have timber that borders vegetable and corn fields. Nevertheless, they can sometime be seen in areas that are not with an abundance of food. It’s for this reason that the population of these animals has increased tremendously in urban areas. As a matter of fact, they can be seen foraging in dumpsters and garbage areas too.
What do raccoons really eat?
This omnivorous animal can eat a range of foods, and these include but are not limited to: soybeans, worms, beetles, cherries, mice, garden vegetables, and corn. The other foods are: walnuts, grapes, grasshoppers, and other insects that fall in the same range. The raccoons also have a rare taste for snakes, possums and turtles, and this is one thing that makes them quite unique animals. Of course, these animals have specific housing nests that they like most and these include but are not limited to: squirrel nests, old barns, spaces under sheds and houses, as well as rock clefts. In urban areas, you are likely to find them under abandoned cars. It goes without saying that these animals are quite flexible as to where they can make their home – especially in cities and towns.
Important Note
The raccoons only have a specific residing place while they are breeding, but if they are not they tend to change their position almost on a daily basis. The adults tend to be solitary, but it is not uncommon to find one large female sharing the same den with small females. This behavior is exhibited by most of the animals in this group for protection and breeding purposes.
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