Do you know any animal that washes its food before eating it?
Raccoon is such an interesting animal. Most raccoons wash their food, and there have been instances when not finding water to wash their food, they refused to eat. However, they have also been known to eat food even when they could find water nearby. Some racoons have been observed to eat without ever washing their food.
Nobody really knows why raccoons wash their food. They do not seem to wash it in an attempt to clean it, since they even wash it in muddy water. Besides they would even wash food caught in the water which certainly does not need washing. So the reason is probably that water makes food tastier for them.
The name ‘raccoon’ comes from the American Indian word arakhuman. They are furry mammals and belong to the family Procyonidae. They are found in the stretch from Southern Canada to Panama, except in the high Rockies.
Raccoon is usually gray in colour, sometimes tinged with yellow or brown. It has a bushy, ringed tail which is about 25 cm long, dark brown in colour with four to six yellowish rings. The eyes are covered with black marks. They have pointed snouts and strong, sharp claws. They use their paws to find food.
Raccoons live in places where there is water and trees for dens. Their food, which they hunt at night, is mainly crayfish, clams, fish and frogs. They find their prey in muddy water. They also feed on nuts, berries, fruits and particularly young corn.
There are two main species of raccoons. The northern raccoon (Procyon lotor) lives in Canada, the United States and Central America. It measures from 76 cm to 97 cm in length including the tail. They may weigh upto 10 kg. Males are generally larger than females. The crab eating raccoon (Procyon carnivorous) lives in South America. This type of raccoon has shorter hair and longer legs than its northern counterpart.
Northern raccoons mate once a year between January and June. About nine weeks after mating, the female gives birth to one to seven young ones. Raccoons are hunted for their fur and meat.