Raccoons are striking and beautiful animals, very characteristic for their black spots on their faces and in many cases for the dark rings that form on their tails. They are considered very intelligent animals due to their ability and agility to manipulate things with their front legs, especially food before consuming it. They have excellent developed senses, which makes them quite perceptive.
Below from our site we present an article specifically about the raccoon reproduction, continue reading and learn more about this peculiar animal.
Raccoons Overview
Raccoons are native to America, depending on the species they are distributed from the north, center and south of the continent. They can weigh between 3 up to 10 kg. In terms of dimensions, the largest species measures about 75 cmabout.
The coloration is gray, which is darker towards the back and lightens at the extremities, even becoming in some white cases. The tail is peculiar, being very distinctive because it is ringed, alternating between black and a lighter color. Raccoons have a black stripe from each side of their cheeks to their eyes, which resembles a mask.
It is an omnivorous animal, consuming a wide variety of animals, fruits, seeds, plants and berries. Discover all the details of Raccoon Feeding in this other article.
What species of raccoons are there?
Three species of raccoons and several subspecies are recognized for the first two:
- South American or crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus)
- Boreal or northern raccoon (Procyon lotor)
- Pygmy Raccoon (Procyon pygmaeus)
How does the raccoon reproduce?
There are some differences depending on the species in terms of reproduction. Let's know these aspects:
South American or crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus)
The males can reproduce with several females while they are in heat, since once pregnant they reject the males. The sexual maturation of males and females occurs after one year of life. The mating season is annual, between July and September, the estrous cycle lasting from 80 to 140 days.
The privilege of reproducing is held by the older males, so the already independent youngsters move away from the area. After copulation, there is a gestation period of 60 to 73 days When the day of delivery approaches, the female does not tolerate the closeness of her relatives and places a burrow between rocks or trees, to give birth to the young.
Normally, the crab-eating raccoon has between 3 and 4 pups, although sometimes it can reach up to 7. They are born without teeth and with their eyes closed, which will open around two weeks. The young of these raccoons are suckled between 2 and 4 months, becoming independent around 8 months.
Boreal Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
The males of this species often seek out females for breeding, even outside their usual range. Once the pairs reproduce, they do not have contact again. Females mature sexually before they are a year old, while males do so at two years. They reproduce annually, mainly in March, although they can do so a little before and even after this time, until June.
Pregnancy in the northern raccoon lasts between 63 and 65 daysand have an average of 4 pups The newborns are totally defenseless and dependent on the mother, since they are born blind; in a maximum of 24 days they open their eyes. Weaning occurs a little after 2 months, when they begin to feed with their mother, although they still remain in the shelter of the burrow.
The care of the offspring is carried out exclusively by the females. Typically, the young will stay with the mother for the rest of that year until the following spring, when they become independent. Although they can live approximately 16 years in their natural habitats, they normally do not exceed 5 years due to hunting and other human actions to which they are subjected.
Pygmy Raccoon (Procyon pygmaeus)
Females and males of this species of raccoon endemic to Mexico usually meet during the time in which the females are receptive, which lasts between 3 and 4 days. During this time, males will try to be with as many females as possible, and these will also have copulation with more than one male
The reproductive period of the species is between September and November, with births occurring between the latter month and January, so that the pregnancy lasts from 63 to 65 daysThe number of cribs is between 2 and 5 maximum and usually do not weigh more than 75 g. Males become sexually mature around two years old, while females do so around a year after being born.
Weaning occurs around 4 months, at which time the mother will begin to teach the young to feed themselves; all care will be given only by this. At 10 months the youngsters are already independent. However, eventually some will stay longer with the mother, until they decide to separate from her for good. In the wild, these individuals usually live between 13 and 16 years.
In general, raccoons do not usually live more than five years in the wild, although they could increase this period of time up to 3 times, but the anthropic impact greatly influences this aspect. Although the crab-eating raccoon is in the least concern category, its population status is declining.
As for the northern raccoon, its current status is of least concern with a growing population trend. However, the pygmy raccoon is critically endangered, which should alert us to the need to implement urgent conservation strategies.
Now that you know how raccoons reproduce and are born, don't stop expanding your knowledge and also discover what the raccoon's habitat is like.
