Procyon (genus)
North American raccoon (Procyon lotor )
The Raccoons ( Procyon ) are a genus of small bears ( Procyonidae ). Of the three species of the genus in Europe naturalized as neozoon (North American ) raccoon is the most famous.
Description
Raccoons are characterized by a broad head with a pointed snout and rounded ears, and by their very compact shape. Allen species common also is a black, mask-like drawing of the face, which is surrounded by white fur and strongly reminiscent of the face drawing of the raccoon dog. The animals reach a body length 42-60 cm, a tail length of 20 to 40 centimeters and a weight of 2 to 12 kg.
Distribution and habitat
Raccoons live in the Americas, the North American raccoon is now naturalized in Europe. Five of the seven species or sub-species live exclusively on small islands in the Caribbean. Its habitat is primarily forests, often they live in the vicinity of water.
Way of life
Raccoons are contrary to earlier assertions not loners, but have a complex social behavior. Sometimes females live in small groups, including young males share territories, home ranges can overlap. They are predominantly crepuscular or nocturnal and sleep during the day in tree hollows or other hiding places.
They are omnivorous, taking both vegetable food as well as invertebrates and small vertebrates to himself.
The types
The genus of the raccoon is divided into three types:
- The (North American ) raccoon (Procyon lotor ) is the most widely used and best researched members of the genus. Originally spread from southern Canada to Panama, he has become naturalized in Europe.
- The Crab-eating Raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus ) is native to South America. Even more than the North American raccoon he is catching of aquatic animals, such as fish, crabs and frogs, and is specialized to a good swimmer and diver.
- The Cozumel Raccoon (Procyon pygmaeus ) lives on the island of Cozumel off the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula.
The Tres Marias raccoon (Procyon lotor insularis ) on the Tres Marias Islands off the west coast of Mexico, the Bahamas raccoon (Procyon lotor maynardi ) on the belonging to the Bahamas island of New Providence and the Guadeloupe raccoon (Procyon lotor minor ) on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe are considered depending on the source as a separate species, but are generally regarded as subspecies of the North American raccoon. The same applies to the Barbados raccoon (Procyon lotor gloveralleni ), which occurred on the Caribbean island of Barbados. The last specimen was sighted in 1964, the species is considered extinct.
The five last-mentioned forms are collectively referred to as island raccoons. These are diminutive forms, about their way of life little is known.
With the misleading name of " Siberian raccoon " or " Ussurischer Raccoon " and the fur descriptions " Finnraccoon " or " Chinese Raccoon " sometimes the raccoon very similar seeing raccoon dog is called (or the raccoon dog fur ), which is not related to this, however. For the fur of the raccoon see → raccoon fur.