The raccoon (Procyon lotor), (sometimes spelt as racoon), also known as the common raccoon,North American raccoon, northern raccoon and colloquially as coon,[5] is a medium-sized mammal native to North America. As a result of escapes and deliberate introductions in the mid-20th century, raccoons are now also distributed across the European mainland, the Caucasus region and Japan. Their original habitats are deciduous and mixed forests, but due to their adaptability they have extended their range to mountainous areas, coastal marshes, and even urban areas, where some home owners consider them to be pests.

With a body length between 41 and 71 cm (16.1�28.0 in) and a weight between 3.9 and 9.0 kg (8.6�19.8 lb), the raccoon is the largest procyonid. Two of its most distinctive characteristics besides its good memory are its facial mask and extremely sensitive front paws. Both of these features are topics of the mythology of several Native American tribes. The diet of the omnivorous and usually nocturnal raccoon consists of about 40% invertebrates, 33% plant foods and 27% vertebrates. Captive raccoons sometimes douse their food before eating it, which is most likely a vacuum activity imitating foraging at shores.