As omnivores and opportunistic feeders, raccoons consume whatever is easiest. They eat nuts, berries, fruits, acorns, grasshoppers, mice, fish, frogs, insects, small animals, ground-dwelling birds, and their eggs.
Raccoons are called Procyon lotor in Latin, meaning the washerman. Before eating, raccoons typically wash their food. Even without water, they move their forepaws on their meal and elevate it.
They inhabit Canada and Central America. Since water is close, they don't mind where they reside. They live in the earth, hollow trees, or rock crevices. They build dens in attics, chimneys, and crawl spaces in metropolitan places.
Raccoons have bandit-like black facial masks. The black stripes may reduce sun glare and improve night vision. Some biologists believe animals use dark masks to obscure their eyes from predators.
The raccoons saw a water cylinder with a marshmallow too low to grab. The researchers next showed that dropping stones into the cylinder raised the water level enough for the raccoons to get the reward.
Raccoons have five front and rear toes. Their forepaws are very dexterous and function like thin human hands. Their agile finger-like toes grasp and handle food, locks, lids, jars
Raccoons are mostly solitary animals. As nocturnal creatures, they rarely venture out during the daytime, and they try to stay close to their den, only traveling far enough to get what they need to eat and drink.
Although so many animal populations have been diminished because of human urbanization and growth, raccoons have readily adapted to living alongside people.