The Masked Marauder: The Racoon

By Al Lowe
Contributor

Have you seen this animal? If you think you have, you are probably right, because it is hard to mistake it for anything else. The black mask, and the furry tail with several rings are the clear mark of the Raccoon, Procycon lotor.
The body of the animal is usually brownish gray. As it moves along the ground, it appears to be sort of hump-backed. It is very common in the eastern U.S. and Canada, less so in the northern states, north Ontario and Manitoba.
The Raccoon can be a real pest or a delight, depending on your circumstances. If you are a farmer or a gardener, his fondness for many crops makes him no friend. He will eat raspberries, apples, potatoes, peaches and peas among others. One of his real favourites is corn. Just before it is ready for pickling, he will climb on the stalks to break them down, so he can get at the juicy, succulent cobs. A family of raccoons can easily demolish a corn patch in a night or two.
If you are not a farmer or a gardener, the activities of this animals can be most interesting. The Raccoon has a tremendous curiosity. He will try to investigate everything he comes across, especially if it might have anything to do with food. His expertise at opening garbage cans is very well known to householders further south. His paws have little 'fingers' so they can function like hands. He quickly becomes adept at opening latches, locks and doors, and he will take great interest in looking at you through a handy window. The 'hands' are nimble at handling food. One distinctive habit is that of 'washing' its food before it eats. Now, we do not believe that it really wants to clean the food, but that is just a matter of really good inspection before taking it apart to eat.
The diet of the Raccoon is a varied one. Vegetable material has already been mentioned. It is also very fond of crayfish, clams, frogs, minnows and other water dwellers. It is happy to make a meal on birds' eggs or young birds, and in some places is a serious predator on ducks, geese and other ground-nesting birds. It does not hesitate to invade the henhouse for both eggs and young chickens. Acorns, hazelnuts, ant, wasp and hornet nests, grubs, insects, young squirrels, mice and a host of other things make up a varied menu for the masked marauder. He prefers to be active at night, and only once in a while will you find him foraging in the daylight hours.
Raccoons do not hibernate as bears do. They do, however, sleep in a den for long periods of time during the coldest parts of the winter. During these times they must depend on their body fat for sustenance. Like many animals and birds, they stuff themselves in the fall to lay down a food supply of fat for the lean days of winter.
It seems as though the Raccoon is becoming more and more common in Northern Ontario. If so, we can expect to see more of this loveable little pest.