Procyon lotor

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	CARNIVORA	PROCYONIDAE

Scientific Name:

Procyon lotor

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Northern Raccoon
French	–	Raton Laveur
Spanish	–	Mapache, Mapachín, Zorra Manglera

Synonym/s:

Procyon gloveralleni Nelson & Goldman, 1930

Procyon insularis Merriam, 1898

Procyon maynardi Bangs, 1898

Procyon minor Miller, 1911

Taxonomic Notes:

Includes the Caribbean introduced populations of gloveralleni, minor, and maynardi after Helgen and Wilson (2003); includes insularis after Helgen and Wilson (2005).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Timm, R., Cuarón, A.D., Reid, F. & Helgen, K.
Reviewer/s:	Duckworth, J.W. (Small Carnivore Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification: This species is listed as Least Concern as the species is broadly distributed throughout North and Central America occurring in a variety of habitats, fairly common, present in several protected areas. The species is not undergoing any significant decline and is adaptable to human conversion of habitat - thus its population may be increasing in some areas.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Originally a North and Central American species, occurring from the Canadian prairies southwards across the United States (except for parts of the Rocky Mountains and the deserts) to Panama. Introductions since the 1930s of animals into Germany the Russian Federation, and many subsequent escapes by farmed animals across Europe, have resulted in expanding European and Central Asian populations of this species (Mitchell-Jones et al., 1999). Individuals have also been recorded from Denmark, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
Countries:	Native: Belize; Canada; Costa Rica; El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; United States Introduced: Austria; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Czech Republic; France; Germany; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Russian Federation; Switzerland; Uzbekistan Present - origin uncertain: Bahamas
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The raccoon is generally quite common and very adaptable to the human environment and populations are likely increasing in size in suburban areas.
Population Trend:	Increasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is very adaptable and is found almost anywhere water is available, along streams and shorelines. Dens under logs or rock, in tree hole, ground burrow, or in bank den (Armstrong, 1975). In some areas it has adapted to city life and is commensal with the human population. However, raccoons are most abundant in hardwood swamps, mangroves, flood forests, and marshes. Average home range is 90-150 acres (Baker, 1983). Population density was reported as one individual per 10-16 acres by Baker (1983). Typically solitary except female with young. The raccoon is a nocturnal omnivore which forages either singly or in groups. It is an opportunistic omnivore; eats fruits, nuts, insects, small mammals, bird eggs and nestlings, reptile eggs, frogs, fishes, aquatic invertebrates, worms, garbage. Obtains most food on or near ground near water.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

This species is very adaptable and is found almost anywhere water is available, along streams and shorelines. Dens under logs or rock, in tree hole, ground burrow, or in bank den (Armstrong, 1975). In some areas it has adapted to city life and is commensal with the human population. However, raccoons are most abundant in hardwood swamps, mangroves, flood forests, and marshes. Average home range is 90-150 acres (Baker, 1983). Population density was reported as one individual per 10-16 acres by Baker (1983). Typically solitary except female with young. The raccoon is a nocturnal omnivore which forages either singly or in groups. It is an opportunistic omnivore; eats fruits, nuts, insects, small mammals, bird eggs and nestlings, reptile eggs, frogs, fishes, aquatic invertebrates, worms, garbage. Obtains most food on or near ground near water.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Few major threats exist to the species as a whole. Region threats do exist, however, and include hunting, trapping and poisoning. Commonly hunted for sport and trapped for pelt (made into coats, collars, muffs, and trimmings). It is also one of the more common victims of road kill, especially about suburban areas and water bodies.

Major Threat(s):

Few major threats exist to the species as a whole. Region threats do exist, however, and include hunting, trapping and poisoning. Commonly hunted for sport and trapped for pelt (made into coats, collars, muffs, and trimmings). It is also one of the more common victims of road kill, especially about suburban areas and water bodies.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The species occurs in numerous protected areas throughout its range.

Conservation Actions:

The species occurs in numerous protected areas throughout its range.

Bibliography [top]

	Armstrong, D. M. 1975. Rocky Mountain Mammals. Rocky Mountain Nature Assoc, Inc. Baker, R. H. 1983. Michigan mammals. Michigan State University Press. Bozek, C., Prange, S. and Gehrt, S. 2007. The influence of anthropogenic resources on multi-scale habitat selection by raccoons. Gehrt, S. D. 2004. Ecology and management of striped skunks, raccoons, and coyotes in urban landcscapes. In: N. Fascionem, A. Delach and M. Smith (eds), People and Predators: From Conflict to Conservation, pp. 81-104. Island Press, New York, USA. Helgen, K. M. and Wilson, D. E. 2003. Taxonomic status and conservation relevance of the raccoons (Procyon spp.) of the West Indies. Journal of Zoology (London) 259: 69-76. Helgen, K. M. and Wilson, D. E. 2005. A systematic and zoogeographic overview of the raccoons of Mexico and Central America. In: V. Sanchez-Cordero and R. A. Medellin (eds), Contribuciones Mastozoologicas: en Homenaje a Bernardo Villa, pp. 221-236. Instituto de Biología e Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Mexico. Mitchell-Jones, A. J., Amori, G., Bogdanowicz, W., Kryštufek, B., Reijnders, P. J. H., Spitzenberger, F., Stubbe, M., Thissen, J. B. M., Vohralik, V. and Zima, J. 1999. The Atlas of European Mammals. Academic Press, London, UK.

Armstrong, D. M. 1975. Rocky Mountain Mammals. Rocky Mountain Nature Assoc, Inc.

Baker, R. H. 1983. Michigan mammals. Michigan State University Press.

Bozek, C., Prange, S. and Gehrt, S. 2007. The influence of anthropogenic resources on multi-scale habitat selection by raccoons.

Gehrt, S. D. 2004. Ecology and management of striped skunks, raccoons, and coyotes in urban landcscapes. In: N. Fascionem, A. Delach and M. Smith (eds), People and Predators: From Conflict to Conservation, pp. 81-104. Island Press, New York, USA.

Helgen, K. M. and Wilson, D. E. 2003. Taxonomic status and conservation relevance of the raccoons (Procyon spp.) of the West Indies. Journal of Zoology (London) 259: 69-76.

Helgen, K. M. and Wilson, D. E. 2005. A systematic and zoogeographic overview of the raccoons of Mexico and Central America. In: V. Sanchez-Cordero and R. A. Medellin (eds), Contribuciones Mastozoologicas: en Homenaje a Bernardo Villa, pp. 221-236. Instituto de Biología e Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Mexico.

Mitchell-Jones, A. J., Amori, G., Bogdanowicz, W., Kryštufek, B., Reijnders, P. J. H., Spitzenberger, F., Stubbe, M., Thissen, J. B. M., Vohralik, V. and Zima, J. 1999. The Atlas of European Mammals. Academic Press, London, UK.

Citation:	Timm, R., Cuarón, A.D., Reid, F. & Helgen, K. 2008. Procyon lotor. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2013.
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