If you live
anywhere near where there are woods, even if it
is near a park then you have probably seen a
raccoon before. These are one of the most common
animals in all of North America, and were the
key commodity for many who came to the new
world.
The fur of a raccoon became quite valuable for
explorers and traders throughout North America
for the first few centuries after Europeans came
west looking for a new opportunity to start
their lives anew.
Because, the animals were once so common that
they were hunted relentlessly. They not only
provided fur but also food that became a primary
staple that was used for survival. This why they
were hunted in such large numbers as many
species of raccoon were threatened for quite
some time. That is not as true any longer, as
various forms of clothing and food have enabled
the creatures to make a dramatic comeback, so
good that they can be seen in almost every part
of the northern hemisphere.
Why the fur of a raccoon and the use of raccoons
for food became so prominent was because these
animals can get to be pretty large in size. This
made them quite an attractive animal to hunt for
sure.
Learn more:
Do raccoons come out in the rain?
Like many species of mammals, raccoons can vary
quite a bit in size. The most common types grow
to a mature length of 28 inches, while some of
the smaller species grow to be no more than
16-inches. This is still quite a large raccoon
that can lead it to be as heavy as 30 pounds.
Its most prominent characteristic is its tail,
and this can be quite large as well. The normal
racoon tail is anywhere from 9 to 12 inches
long, and this is what was used on many coon
skin caps that were made and traded in the early
parts of the United States’ history.
The male raccoon is usually about 20 percent
larger in size and weight than you would find in
the female. This makes them much more dominant
and they are able to control a much larger area
of an ecosystem depending upon how large they
can get. A male raccoon is quite territorial and
will fight with other raccoons to control a
region. This is why size can have a profound
impact on how much area it will control and how
many females will fall under its domination.
The raccoon is the largest of all the species in
the rodent family. Because of how long and heavy
it can get, it is the dominant creature in the
class and this is only natural when it can be
over two feet in length. Read more:
Raccoon
Control,
how
to get rid of raccoons,
Raccoon
Feces,
How
to get raccoons out of the ceiling.
