UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY RACCOON
Of the 23 subspecies of raccoon in North America this page will discuss only the species of the Upper Mississippi Valley Raccoon.
SPECIES: Procyon lotor hirtus
STATUS: Least concern
HABITAT: Forest with dense undergrowth around waterways.
DIET: Amphibians, crayfish, insects, bird eggs, fruit, etc.
GENERAL: Dousing or washing of food is more observed in captive raccoons than wild raccoons. In the wild if a raccoon catches a crayfish or finds a snail or maybe a dead fish along the shore, it will “wash” the food before eating it. Most likely just removing some unwanted material.
*Photo attributed to: Hollyshots
