Raccoon Facts

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As “woodland critters” raccoons are perhaps the most iconic, typically found prowling in the wild as well as finding their way in to suburban, real estate developments.

The 1969 Disney live-action feature entitled Rascal focused on the story of a child meeting up with a baby raccoon, engaging on fun-filled adventures with the little tyke.

Given their cute and cuddly looks, one would think that animal lovers would keep them as pets, but as the facts would prove, they are not the best pet options to have in homes and households.

Below are some facts about the raccoon, with reasons which justify their un-ideal standing as pets as well as some fascinating facts about them.

Parasites – Raccoons are known to carry different diseases, with raccoon roundworms – a microscopic parasite – being the most notorious.

As a threat to the health and well being of humans, this parasite is known to cause blindness and even death, something which any homeowner wouldn’t want to risk by brining a wild or stray raccoon into his or her home.

Cat-like Abilities – Though not exactly related to cats, raccoons are known to have cat-like abilities, with their ability to easily land from 35 to 40 feet heights.

Unlike cats though, raccoons have a “tactile” sense, which is defined by their human-like forepaws which they can use to accomplish all sorts of tasks such as foraging for food. Also, unlike cats, a raccoon’s tail takes up as much as 52% of its overall length, measuring as long as 405mm.

16-Year Lifespans – Raccoons are known to live as long as 16 years in the wild, but the longest living raccoon is reported to have lived as long as 21 years in captivity.

Swimming – Just as they are well-built for land-based terrains, raccoons are also adept swimmers.

However, they are not exactly fond of swimming, since their fur isn’t “waterproof” in the sense that their wet fur tends to add more weight.