These cute animals, which are actually predatory mammals, cannot be confused with anyone: just see their fluffy striped tail and the “mask” on the face. Species of raccoons are not numerous, and today we will introduce you to some of them.
Raccoon Family
The family combines animals with different external characteristics. Most of them are medium-sized animals with a flexible and elongated body with a length of 31 to 67 centimeters and a long fluffy tail (20-69 cm); in some climbing members of the family, it performs a grasping function. The body weight of animals varies from 0.8 to 22 kg.
In almost all species (with a few exceptions), the muzzle is pointed, short, and ears are erect. Paws have a characteristic structure: tenacious and long fingers, stop-walking, less often with half-retracting claws. In most species, the color varies from light gray to bright reddish-brown. There are almost always marks on the face, the tail pattern is ringed.
Raccoon species
The Raccoon family has 11-12 species, which are combined into 8 genera. It splits into two subfamilies: Asian and American animals. In the latter case, these are raccoon species that inhabit Central and South America, one species is chosen by North America.
Only two species belong to the Asian subfamily, which are limited by a narrow range in East Asia. Big and small panda are the only representatives of the family living in the Old World. The most common are the following types of raccoons:
- strip;
- Tresmarian;
- Barbados
- Bahamian;
- crustacean;
- Guadeloupe;
- Cozumel.
Below we will describe the most interesting, in our opinion, types of raccoons and provide you with their photos.
Raccoon
The ancestors of this animal inhabited the forests of America since ancient times. Today they live in this territory. He feels rather well in the forests of Russia, Belarus, on the islands of the East Indies, and often he can be found in the forests of Azerbaijan.
The body of a representative of this species reaches sixty-five centimeters in length, with at least twenty centimeters per fluffy tail. The growth of the animal at the withers is thirty-five centimeters. Weight on average - about six kilograms. The body of this raccoon is dense, stocky, legs are short. The color is brownish gray. On the face “mask”: black spots with a white rim, a black stripe stretched from the forehead to the tip of the nose. There is a dark spot between the eyes, black rings encircle the tail of the animal.
The strip walks on four legs, while the front ones are arranged in such a way that he can hold objects with them and deftly wash himself. The animal eats while sitting on its hind legs, and keeps food in the front. Thanks to their unusually dexterous and long fingers, these animals easily find food even in rather muddy water.
Tresmarias Raccoon
This subspecies of raccoon-raccoon lives on the islands of Mary, located off the western coast of the state of Nayarit (Mexico). The Tresmarias raccoon is larger than a strip: on average, the body length of adult animals is ninety centimeters (along with the tail). The coat is short and rather faded. The belly is covered with brown fur, which has a thick light undercoat.
A feature of this species that distinguishes it from other subspecies is an angular skull. Already in 1996, this species was in danger of complete extinction: less than two hundred and fifty adults remained in the natural environment. This was due to the fact that the Tresmarias raccoon conducted an uncontrolled hunt by the islanders, while no measures were taken to protect the animals. Since the range of these animals is small, the population is unlikely to ever be large.
Bahamas Raccoon
Like some island species of raccoons, this animal, according to researchers, is a subspecies of the strip. Bahamas raccoon lives on the islands of the Caribbean. Outwardly, it is almost no different from a strip. The fluffy tail is decorated with 5-10 dark rings. Males are noticeably larger than females. Body length - up to 60 cm, tail - up to 40.5 cm. Color can be different - from light gray to almost black.
In captivity, the animal can live up to 20 years, in vivo life expectancy is much less. The Bahamian raccoon prefers areas covered with dense shrubs near ponds. It feeds on arthropods, including crabs and lobsters, and will not refuse frogs and plant foods: nuts, acorns, berries. The behavior of representatives of this subspecies has been little studied, however, researchers believe that they are more likely to be nocturnal. Build a den, which is used for sleep and rest. Active throughout the year, do not fall into hibernation.
The Bahamian raccoon prefers loneliness, of course, except for the mating season. Puberty in the female begins by the year, in males - by two years. Pregnancy lasts about ten weeks. After this period, 4 to 6 cubs are born.
Cozumelsky Raccoon
This type of raccoon is called a dwarf and endemic species of the island of Cozumel (Mexico). It is much smaller than its relatives, and it is easy to distinguish from them by a black wide mask, which extends to the throat. In addition, the animal has a luxurious golden yellow tail, expanding at the end, and a slightly rounded nose.
The upper part of the body is covered with brownish-gray hair with a small interspersing of black hairs, and the lower part and legs are covered with pale brown fur. The grayish-gray color of the upper part of the head contrasts sharply with the white fur of the chin and muzzle, as, indeed, with the black mask around the eyes.
The tail is yellowish, with six dark brown or black rings. The length of an adult animal (with tail) varies from 58 to 82 cm, tail - 26 cm, weight - from 3 to 4 kg. The Cozumel raccoon is on the verge of extinction today. The population of these animals is only 250 individuals. This is due to limited range. These are endemic to the island of Cozumel, whose area is 478 square meters. km
