Photo: Rhododendrites (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons
Raccoon
Procyon lotor (Linnaeus, 1758)
Encyclopaedia
What is a raccoon?
At a glance3
Fun facts7 facts
- 1
Raccoons can climb down trees headfirst by rotating their hind feet backwards, which is unusual for a mammal of their size.[1]
- 2
Raccoons devote almost two-thirds of the sensory part of their brain cortex to touch, more than any other animal studied.[1]
- 3
In an early experiment, raccoons opened 11 of 13 complex locks in fewer than 10 tries and kept succeeding when the locks were flipped upside down.[1]
- 4
Raccoons can tell a box holding two or four grapes from one holding three.[1]
- 5
Raccoons can hear very quiet sounds, even the noises of earthworms moving underground.[1]
Sources1
- [1]Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
Raccoon guides
Protecting and staying safe around a raccoon
Not veterinary advice. General information about this animal. If you find one injured or in trouble, contact a wildlife rescue or the RSPCA rather than handling it yourself.
