Raccoon

Raccoons have extremely dense underfur and very sensitive fore paws. They have shown the ability to remember tasks up to three years later. They also have shown the ability to adapt to the urban environment.

Color:	Grayish, brownish coat and masked face
Legs:	4
Shape:	small to medium size animal with slightly rounded ears and dark rings on tail
Size:	Head & Body length 16 to 28 inches, Weight - 7 to 19 pounds but can range from 4 to 30 pounds
Antennae:	No

Habits

Raccoons are basically nocturnal but will forage during the day. Their food consists of a mix of vertebrates, invertebrates, and plant material. They will engage in social behavior with other raccoons but they are usually thought of as being solitary.

Habitat

They usually thrive in sparsely wooded areas in the past but have become adapted to urban life readily. Raccoons prefer tree hollows of dead trees or rock crevices to sleep or build litter dens in. They will nest in attics or crawl spaces of structures.

Threats

Raccoons can carry rabies and roundworm. The roundworm can be contracted by workers not wearing breathing protection while cleaning the bathroom area of raccoons. Fleas and other parasites may be associated with raccoons nesting in the attic or crawlspace. They cause damage to structures when creating an entry into the attic or crawl space.

Prevention

Raccoons can be prevented from entering the structure by performing exclusion methods. Exclusion methods entail using metal flashing, metal mesh to cover any and all possible entry routes or in some cases re-construction of the entry area.