#Raccoon printopia skin#

It may be a way for them to better 'feel' and in a sense 'see' what they are about to eat. This added sensitivity to already hyper sensitive hands, may be why raccoons are known to wash their food in water before eating it.

#Raccoon printopia skin#

The furless palms of the front paws are protected by a thin layer of horny skin - somewhat like a callous - which becomes soft and pliable when wet. Raccoons are analyzing their world by feel and it is its most important and specialized sense. In fact, the raccoon’s sense of touch, and in particular sensory input from the forepaws takes up more than 65% of the section of the brain that processes all sensory input. Like the whiskers on many animals faces, they transmit information when the tips touch an object. These whiskers are called vibrissae and extend just beyond the raccoons front claws. Raccoons have several very unusual physical specialties that make them unique in the animal world, including a wildly advanced tactile ability that is highlighted by their having whiskers on their toes! Raccoon FactsĪlthough some consider the raccoon simply a common pest, it is actually anything but common. The raccoon is further separated into its own genus, Procyon, which includes 7 species of raccoon distributed across North and Central America, that vary only slightly in size and color. Once considered to be in the bear family, the raccoon is now placed in the family Procyonidae which includes the coatimundi and the kinkajou, both from South America. Many a homeowner has spent their spare time in a backyard war with the unstoppable neighborhood raccoons, who somehow manage to get into sheds, feed bins, dumpsters and doggie doors defying all manor of bungee cords, twist ties, latches and ropes. The combination of bright mind and dexterous paws is highly effective and the raccoon has a reputation as a master thief and garbage-can ransacker. Raccoons have been know to unscrew jars, undo locks and untie knots. The 'pinkie' finger and 'thumb' are offset from the middle three digits and can come together across the middle of the palm allowing the raccoon to grasp things and manipulate items with reasonable strength and extreme dexterity. They are similar in shape to a weasel or ferret paw, but there is no webbing between the front toes at all, giving the digits the look of fingers. The raccoon does not have opposable thumbs, and in fact, their front paws do not look human, or even primate.

They have been seen fishing with their hands, and will catch toads and turtles and crayfish with their front paws as well, coming in quickly with a kill bite lest their quarry escapes their grasp. The raccoon is a carnivore which enjoys catching lots of very small prey including insects, mice, birds and fish.

Streams and ponds are ideal, but in urban and suburban situations raccoons will make use of fountains, backyard pools and koi ponds.

Raccoons are rarely found denning more than a few hundred yards from some constant source of water. Their main requirement in any habitat is a water source. Raccoons are mostly nocturnal, highly intelligent and will eat just about anything, so making their way through an urban environment is not challenging.