Description. The typical raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a thickly built medium-sized animal, with short ears and a bushy tail with anywhere from four to ten black rings. The most characteristic physical feature of the raccoon is the area of black fur around the eyes which contrasts sharply with the surrounding white face colouring. Both their forepaws and hind paws have five toes. Coloration varies with habitat, but tends to range from grey to reddish brown to buff. Raccoons measure between 41 and 71 cm, not including the tail which can measure between 19 and 40 cm but is usually not much longer than 25 cm. Weight can range from 1.8 to 10.4 kg. Raccoons have a highly developed tactile sense. As raccoons have short legs compared to their compact torso, they are usually not able either to run quickly or jump great distances. They are good swimmers and do not hesitate to cross rivers that lie in their path.…
