The raccoon is a curious animal that has seen its population expand in the past several decades. In many big cities they have become a pest as they have a tendency to rummage through trash and to inhabit attics and crawl spaces. They can also be a carrier for diseases including rabies. Nonetheless, they are also attractive animals that many people enjoy having around. They are a mixed blessing. At one level they can be seen as pests but at another level they can be viewed as cute furry critters that look a bit cuddly and are entertaining.
At one time raccoons were not particularly abundant. They were mostly restricted to lowland regions of the Mississippi River Valley and deciduous forests in the Southeastern states. However, over the past several decades they have expanded their numbers and their range into almost every US state and nearly all of the Canadian provinces. They are still missing from some portions of Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.
Unlike most mammals, raccoons have adapted well to human habitation. They have proliferated in agricultural areas and urban cities, finding food in dumpsters, chicken coops, grain fields and other sources made possible by human activity. Most large American cities have substantial populations. In addition to crop lands and cities, these creatures have adapted to almost every habitat niche excluding extremely arid desert regions.
Introduced populations also are thriving outside the North American continent. They have become an established species in several European countries as well as in Japan. The populations in Japan and Germany are especially robust. They have also established two disjointed populations in parts of the former Soviet Union.
In urban areas they can be regarded as pests. They tend to frequent dumpsters and trash cans and in agricultural areas they can damage cash crops and raid poultry houses. They also have been known to attack and injure or kill domestic pets like house cats and dogs. Dealing with the varmints can be a challenge. Many animal control officers and private businesses can relocate or trap problem animals, but populations are usually stable enough that eliminating the animal altogether is impractical. Instead residents should take care to cover their trash and avoid attracting raccoons.
Wild individuals have relatively short lifespans. Most do not live more than three or four years because of disease, road mortality, predation and hunting. Predation however is not sufficient to control populations as raccoons have a limited number of natural predators.
Raccoons are known to carry rabies, so it is wise to avoid being bitten by one. Though the disease is rarely transmitted to humans, caution should be taken nonetheless. The animal also frequently carries distemper, although this cannot be transferred to humans.
Living with the raccoon can be interesting and challenging. These interesting creatures can be both fun to watch and a potential nuisance. They have adapted to living around humans. Now humans may need to adapt to living with them.
At one time raccoons were not particularly abundant. They were mostly restricted to lowland regions of the Mississippi River Valley and deciduous forests in the Southeastern states. However, over the past several decades they have expanded their numbers and their range into almost every US state and nearly all of the Canadian provinces. They are still missing from some portions of Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.
Unlike most mammals, raccoons have adapted well to human habitation. They have proliferated in agricultural areas and urban cities, finding food in dumpsters, chicken coops, grain fields and other sources made possible by human activity. Most large American cities have substantial populations. In addition to crop lands and cities, these creatures have adapted to almost every habitat niche excluding extremely arid desert regions.
Introduced populations also are thriving outside the North American continent. They have become an established species in several European countries as well as in Japan. The populations in Japan and Germany are especially robust. They have also established two disjointed populations in parts of the former Soviet Union.
In urban areas they can be regarded as pests. They tend to frequent dumpsters and trash cans and in agricultural areas they can damage cash crops and raid poultry houses. They also have been known to attack and injure or kill domestic pets like house cats and dogs. Dealing with the varmints can be a challenge. Many animal control officers and private businesses can relocate or trap problem animals, but populations are usually stable enough that eliminating the animal altogether is impractical. Instead residents should take care to cover their trash and avoid attracting raccoons.
Wild individuals have relatively short lifespans. Most do not live more than three or four years because of disease, road mortality, predation and hunting. Predation however is not sufficient to control populations as raccoons have a limited number of natural predators.
Raccoons are known to carry rabies, so it is wise to avoid being bitten by one. Though the disease is rarely transmitted to humans, caution should be taken nonetheless. The animal also frequently carries distemper, although this cannot be transferred to humans.
Living with the raccoon can be interesting and challenging. These interesting creatures can be both fun to watch and a potential nuisance. They have adapted to living around humans. Now humans may need to adapt to living with them.
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