Skunk removal and animal removal

NEWS/RACCOONS

Raccoons in Toronto

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Although many city-dwellers have never seen them, raccoons are an integral part of life in Toronto.

May 31, 2009

SOURCE: Digital Journal

People who live in Toronto are privileged in several ways. One of those privileges is the proximity of nature. In spite of living in Canada’s largest city, nature is never more than a short walk away. Very often, it lives under our very noses. All we have to do is open our eyes. Raccoons are an important part of this nature.

Before coming to Toronto, I knew raccoons only from the zoo and the occasional few seconds in television documentaries. I was amazed to discover that there were raccoons living in the garden of the downtown building where I live, and this incited me to follow them along during their nightly activities for a while. Over time, I have made several hundred pictures of raccoons, not as a professional photographer, but simply as someone who wanted personal records of these animals in the city.

Although these animals are essentially nocturnal, I recently had three chance encounters with them in full daylight, in three places that are quite far apart from each other: Centre Island, Tommy Thompson park and a friend’s garden in North York. That incited me to assemble some of the information I have about these animals into an article.

Description

A raccoon is a vaguely bear-like animal with brownish-grey fur. It has a fairly long tail (20 to 40 cm) with alternating black and brown rings. The total length of the animal varies from 50 to 100 cm. Their tail is good for about 40 to 50% of total body length. Males are usually close to 25% larger than females. Animals living in the north tend to be larger and heavier (6 to 8 kg) than their southern counterparts (around 4 kg). In the fall, up to 50% of the weight of the northern raccoons is fat. These are, of course, averages. Animals as light as 2 kg and as heavy as 11 kg have been found.

Raccoons have well-developed hands with a somewhat opposable thumb. This way, they can grab and manipulate objects far better than most other mammals. This is one of the reasons they are so good at opening cans and bins of all sorts that are often specifically designed to keep them out.

The raccoon’s best-known feature is doubtless its cute facial mask.

Taxonomy and name

The raccoon (scientific name Procyon lotor) is supposed to be a (very far) cousin of the bear, which is why Carolus Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) first placed it in the genus Ursus (bear) around 1750. It has since been placed in the genus Procyon from the Greek prokyon or before-dog. Lotor (washer/washing) is added because it refers to the raccoon’s typical washing movements.

References to both the connection to bears and the washing behaviour can be found in the names of the raccoon in many languages, resulting in the equivalent of “washing bear” in some of them, such as wasbeer in my mother tongue (Dutch/Flemish), waschbär (German), and araiguma (洗熊) in the language that I have come to love, thanks to my coming to Toronto (Japanese). It is a bit different in French. Here, we talk about raton laveur (raton = little rat, laveur = washer/washing) or little washing rat. The raccoon also used to be called chat sauvage (wild cat) in Quebec, but this name is gradually disappearing.

The word raccoon is said to come from arakun, an Algonquian Indian word for “he scratches with his hand”.

Other animals are sometimes mistaken for raccoons, such as the tanate or raccoon dog (Canis procyonoides), a Japanese animal of the dog family, or -far less often- the raccoon fox or cacomixle (Bassaris astuta) also known as civet cat or ringtail cat, among other names.

Range

Raccoons can be found in the northern parts of South America, throughout most of the United States and in southern Canada. Because their pelts were once very popular, they were introduced in Europe. There are now large groups in Germany and they can also be found in The Netherlands, France and Luxembourg, and there are even small pockets of presence in my native Belgium.

Habitat

Raccoons prefer woodlands with lots of water, but they are highly adaptable and can be found in many different habitats. They have also learned that while humans are certainly dangerous and to be avoided, their messy behaviour offers too many opportunities to ignore. As a result, large populations can be found in suburbs and cities. It is estimated that there are several thousand raccoons living in Toronto. The night before garbage is collected, raccoons can often be seen ripping open garbage bags, looking for food.

Raccoons prefer to build dens in trees, preferably tree holes, but they are not particularly choosy and they can live just as easily in abandoned holes of other animals, in caves and attics, under decks and in many other places.

Lifestyle

Raccoons are essentially solitary nocturnal animals. During the mating season, males and females can sometimes be seen denning together until the litter is born, after which males go their own way. Females usually live with their offspring for up to a year, and even after reaching sexual maturity, they often stay near each other for some time. At the very least, the young stay with their mother throughout their first winter, and they become independent in the spring. Male young then usually spread out, but female young often stay in the neighbourhood of their mother.

Due to the shape of their limbs, raccoons seem somewhat awkward when they walk. Nevertheless, they can run at speeds of up to 25 kph. They are also good climbers, who are not afraid of heights. They can come down a tree tail-first or head-first. Falls from up to about 10 to 12 metres do not seem to bother them. They are good swimmers, although they do not like to swim, possibly because their fur is not water-repellent and soaks up water, which causes it to become heavy.

During periods of cold and heavy snowfall, raccoons often stay in their dens for long periods of time, mainly sleeping. However, in spite of what was previously thought, they do not hibernate.

Roaming

Raccoons roam to feed themselves, and they do not go any farther than strictly necessary. As a result, their home ranges can vary greatly in size, from a few thousand square metres to several square kilometres, depending on available resources. Although raccoons do not tolerate each other’s presence very well, home ranges are not to be seen as exclusive territories, as raccoons are generally not particularly territorial, except when food and other resources become scarce and hard to come by.

During mating season, male raccoons tend to increase their home ranges to include the home ranges of several females. Later, female raccoons often do the same while looking for food to feed their young.

Senses

Raccoons have excellent hearing and tactile senses. They also have excellent night vision. Raccoons can often easily be found in the dark because their eyes reflect light, in very much the same way cat eyes reflect light. Their eyes will usually light up as if they were two little lamps.

Food

Raccoons are omnivores, and as such they are very opportunistic feeders. They eat eggs, crayfish, insects, rodents, fish, frogs, grapes and berries, apples and walnuts, peaches and acorns, roots and tubers and so much more. As long as it is edible and available, they will eat it, even road kill carrion. If there are more plant foods available than animals, they will eat more plant foods. The reverse is also true.

In certain areas, corn makes up the largest part of their diet. In urban areas, they will rip open garbage bags that are put out on the curb for collection. Thanks to their dexterity, they will open garbage bins, often with locks that are supposedly designed to keep animals out. They will even climb up and jump into public trash bins. I have been able to personally experience that approaching a garbage bin with a raccoon inside is not necessarily a good idea.

Reproduction

Females and males both become sexually mature after 8 to 12 months. However, while young females often become pregnant in their first year, most males only mate after about 2 years because they are not strong enough to compete with older and more experienced males. Most males will mate with several females, while females will normally accept to mate with one male only. After mating, males and females go their separate ways and the males play no role in raising their offspring.

In the north, breeding season starts around the end of January and the beginning of February, with most mating occurring in March. Since the gestation period is about 64 days, most young are born in May. Nevertheless, births can occur from March to September in the north, and even all year round in the south.

In the south, litters consist of two to three young. In the north, the litters are larger, averaging four and varying from three to seven.

Raccoons weigh around 75 g when they are born. They have no teeth and they are blind. Around day ten, they have the typical raccoon colour patterns and the familiar facial mask. Four to ten days later, their eyes open, and their teeth erupt approximately five days after that. They are weaned when they are around 70 days old. When they are about 20 weeks old, they follow their mother outside. She teaches them how to find food and how to hunt. They stay with her during the first winter, often until she gets a new litter.

Lifespan

Raccoons have high mortality rates. It is estimated that in certain areas up to 60% do not survive their first year. The mortality causes are diverse. The fur of raccoons is still quite popular and an average of 3 million raccoons are killed annually for their fur. Automobiles are another human cause of mortality. Each year, several thousands of raccoons finish their existence as road kill.

There are other predators as well, such as coyotes, dogs, wolves, owls, hawks and snakes, but these threats are in no way comparable to other threats. Rabies seems a larger threat. It kills thousands of raccoons every year and it is spreading fast from the United States into Canada. Related to measles, the canine distemper virus or CDV causes the death of thousands of raccoons annually, mainly in the United States and eastern parts of Canada. As is the case with rabies, CDV can infect humans as well, but because it so closely resembles measles, it should not infect people who are immunized against measles.

Ticks, lice and fleas can typically be found on raccoons, but these do not seem to play an important role in raccoon mortality. Most mortality is likely caused by the simple realities of life in its habitat, such as cold winters, malnutrition and starvation. In spite of all these harsh realities, the species thrives just about anywhere and it does not seem to be in any danger, at least for the time being.

Most raccoons do not survive their second year, the remaining ones are supposed to live for about five years, though there are records of life spans of 12 to 16 years in the wild and 21 in captivity. Seven years is usually enough to completely renew a population.

Pet or pest?

Although Canada is known the world over for its magnificent natural beauty and abundant wildlife, many Canadians know raccoons only from the zoo and television. Many people simply hate them because they open garbage bags, find ways into their homes, destroy farm animals and crops and exhibit other such behaviours that are considered harmful.

Some people hold raccoons as pets. Male raccoons are usually released into the wild when they are about to reach maturity, because they are no longer the playful cuddly animals they once were. Female raccoons are easier, but they can still be very destructive. The raccoon is one of those rare animals that are able to re-adapt to the wild after being raised in captivity.

A word to the wise

Raccoons look like cuddly little teddy bears. They can be, especially when raised as pets. In the wild (including the streets of Toronto), they are normally very shy and they shun humans. They do not like being followed. I have experienced myself that a raccoon, irritated by my constant following him and my incessant picture taking, came closer to me than felt comfortable. It grabbed and bit my shoes.

No harm done, but I was able to experience first-hand how strong these animals are. They are wild animals, and they are obviously willing and able to fiercely defend themselves if provoked. Nevertheless, I think that Torontonians are privileged, living in Canada’s largest and economically most important city, all while being close to nature.

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