The raccoon is an adaptable, gregarious animal. They are abundant in many areas and are considered a nuisance in some urban locations where they rummage through trash or den in people\’s attics. They can also carry rabies and other diseases. However, many people find them intriguing and amusing animals. In urban areas they have become increasingly common. Some homeowners regard them as nuisances while others enjoy their presence.

These creatures were once mostly confined to the hardwood forests of the Southeastern United States. However in the past century they have spread and multiplied in virtually every region of the United States and Canada. They now range in all of the lower forty-eight states, although they are absent from the most arid portions of the Desert Southwest. They have also expanded well into Canada.

Raccoons can occupy almost any habitat. Although they prefer deciduous woods near water, they can adapt to pine forests, prairies, swamps, mountains and urban and suburban areas. Urban populations have grown tremendously in American cities like Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC. They can find homes in trees, abandoned homes and burrows made by other animals.

In addition, they have been introduced into other countries including Japan, Germany and Russia. The German population has grown a great deal since they first arrived and they are now found throughout the nation and into corners of neighboring countries too. They have shown themselves to be adaptable to frigid winters in Russia, just as they have done in North America where populations continue to extend further north into Canada.

In urban areas they can be regarded as pests. They tend to frequent dumpsters and trash cans and in agricultural areas they can damage cash crops and raid poultry houses. They also have been known to attack and injure or kill domestic pets like house cats and dogs. Dealing with the varmints can be a challenge. Many animal control officers and private businesses can relocate or trap problem animals, but populations are usually stable enough that eliminating the animal altogether is impractical. Instead residents should take care to cover their trash and avoid attracting raccoons.

In the wild, many are killed by vehicles or hunters. Life expectancies average under three years in the wild, although captive raccoons can live twenty years or longer. In addition to road mortality and hunting, some specimens succumb to natural predators like owls, coyotes and bobcats though predator mortality is not a significant control on populations.

Raccoons account for over a third of known rabies cases in the United States, although they rarely pass the disease onto humans. Nonetheless, they should not be handled since they can deliver a painful bite. Many animals are also diseased with distemper, but fortunately this cannot be passed onto humans.

Living with the raccoon can be interesting and challenging. These interesting creatures can be both fun to watch and a potential nuisance. They have adapted to living around humans. Now humans may need to adapt to living with them.

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Author Bio: Has your house been taken over by animals? Wildlife control services are now available providing raccoon removal London, raccoon removal Oakville, and more.

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