IHEA logo Guide to Wildlife Identification

What You Should Know | Finding Wildlife | Game or Non-Game | Techniques | Signs | Distribution | Warning for Hunters | Final Quiz | Over 100 Wildlife Fact Sheets


Raccoon

(Procyon lotor)

Other common names: coon, ringtail

Size:

  • 18 to 28 in. (46 to 71 cm) not including tail.
  • Tail length is up to 12 in. (30 cm).
  • Weighs 11 to 35 lb. (5 to 16 kg).

Distribution in North America:

range map


Tracks
front: 2 1/2" x 3" 
hind:
2 1/2" x 4"

Habitat:

  • Along waterways near forests or rocky banks.

Notes:

  • Nocturnal and omnivorous.
  • Frequently dunks food in water before eating.
  • Dens in hollows of trees, logs or ground burrows and rock crevices.

Tell Me More icon
Click here for more information

Be sure to check local regulations for hunting or trapping information on this species.

home next back