The raccoon is a mammal native to Southern Canada and is colloquially pronounced as the coon. It is a medium-sized mammal and is the largest member of the Procyonid family. With a body length between 40-70 cm and weight approximately ranging between 8-20 lbs, it is one fairly large carnivore with a striking resemblance to both cat and monkey. The deciduous and mixed forests being the original habitat for this mammal, they are primarily found in these areas in abundance. The dark grey coat covering the body and underneath it a thick layer of fur has extended the adaptability of the raccoons to the mountains and hilly areas which are relatively colder.
The Raccoon: Facts that will surprise you-The raccoon is a very intelligent mammal according to scientific experiments, and it has been found out that they can remember the tasks they do, the sequences to a solution they follow for almost three years. The raccoon is an animal that finds immense respect in the Southern Canadian tribes, the facial mask of the raccoon is used for many native dance forms prevailing in Southern Canada. The Raccoon is one of the oldest species of animals existing today and there has been evidence showing that they existed even 25 million years ago. The raccoons can sense objects without even touching them through the vibrissae located on their paws. Also, their paws are not inter webbed, something unusual for a carnivore.
The raccoons have conflicting interests when it comes to humans. For, their entry into the urban places may trouble the people to great extent, costing them thousands of dollars for repairs of the attic places, storerooms or dens where people often store their extra food. This tendency of the raccoons is due to the fact that people often feed wild animals. While it may look like good charitable work, for the time being, it makes the animals severely dependent on human food causing such nuisances.