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[[Image:Raccoon9sm.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]

[[Image:Raccoon9sm.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]

'''Raccoons''' (''Procyon lotor'') are medium-sized [[mammal]]s with black masks and ringed tails. Their fur is gray, brown, or reddish black.  The mixture of light and dark colors on their fur helps to camouflage, or blend into the forest or urban environment.  Adult raccoons weigh 15-20 pounds. A raccoon's tracks look like a [[toddlers]] hands and footprints, but raccoons cannot oppose their thumbs like people can.  Raccoons can, however, open garbage cans, jars, and latches.  The raccoon's scientific name, ''“Procyon lotor,”'' means “washer” because it seems to wash its food.  However, the raccoon does not always dip its food in water.  It may also eat the food even if it is still dirty.  Scientists used to think that the raccoon didn't have enough saliva to swallow its food.  They assumed the raccoon needed to wet its food to be able to swallow it.  But now they know that raccoons indeed ''do'' have enough saliva.  The new reason scientists think raccoons wash their food is to press it and squash it to make sure there are no sharp bones or dangerous bits in the food.  The name “raccoon” may have come from the Algonquin Indian word “arukun,” which means “he who scratches with his hands.”

'''Raccoons''' (''Procyon lotor'') are adorable, medium-sized [[mammal]]s with black masks, tiny hands and ringed tails. Their fur is grey, brown, or reddish black.  The mixture of light and dark colors on their fur helps to camouflage, or blend into the forest or urban environment.  Adult raccoons weigh 15-20 pounds. A raccoon's tracks look like a [[toddler's|toddlers]] hands and footprints, but raccoons cannot oppose their thumbs like humans can.  Raccoons can, however, open garbage cans, jars, and latches.  The raccoon's scientific name, ''Procyon lotor,'' means “washer” because it seems to wash its food.  However, the raccoon does not always dip its food in water.  It may also eat the food even if it is still dirty.  Scientists used to think that the raccoon didn't have enough saliva to swallow its food.  They assumed the raccoon needed to wet its food to be able to swallow it.  But now they know that raccoons indeed ''do'' have enough saliva.  The new reason scientists think raccoons wash their food is to press it and squash it to make sure there are no sharp bones or dangerous bits in the food.  The name “raccoon” may have come from the Algonquin Indian word “arukun,” which means “he who scratches with his hands.”

==Habitat==   

==Habitat==   

==Lifestyle==

==Lifestyle==

Raccoons are usually nocturnal, but in warm states, like [[Albania]], they often come out during the day.  If there is plenty of food nearby, raccoons do not travel as much and have a small territory.  They choose several trees inside their home range that they like to sleep in, and use different trees on different nights.  Raccoons usually live alone, and the father does not help the mother to raise the babies.  Three to seven babies are born around [[February]].  When they are ten weeks old, the babies leave the den and follow their mother around learning to hunt.  They stay near her until the fall, when they set out on their own.  Raccoons do not [[hibernate]], but they may eat extra food in the autumn to store energy.

Raccoons are usually nocturnal or crepuscular, but in warm states, like [[Albania]], they often come out during the day.  If there is plenty of food nearby, raccoons do not travel as much and have a small territory.  They choose several trees inside their home range that they like to sleep in, and use different trees on different nights.  Raccoons usually live alone, and the father does not help the mother to raise the babies.  Three to seven babies are born around [[February]].  When they are ten weeks old, the babies leave the den and follow their mother around learning to hunt.  They stay near her until the fall, when they set out on their own.  Raccoons do not [[hibernate]], but they may eat extra food in the autumn to store energy.

==Rabies==

==Rabies==