RACCOON 



and slender; head broad across the jowls; ears erect and 

 prominent; form thickset; fore- and hind-feet with five toes 

 bearing non-retractile claws; soles naked, hind feet planti- 

 grade; tail moderately long and bushy, cylindrical; pelage 

 thick and heavy; habit somewhat arboreal; nocturnal. 



Color. — Sexes colored alike; some seasonal variation. 



Upperparts. — Grizzled gray, brown, and black, the pelage 

 dull brown at base; a black band across forehead and eyes, 



Fig. 21. Raccoon 



grayish on muzzle and back of ears; ears grayish, with black 

 area at posterior base ; sides with less black than dorsal region ; 

 tail banded with alternate grayish and blackish, six or seven 

 dark rings; gray of upperparts, except that on head, is strongly 

 mixed with yellowish; hands and feet yellowish gray. 



Underparts. — Dull brownish, grizzled with yellowish gray. 



Immature very much like adults. 



Measurements. — Total length, about 30 inches; tail verte- 

 bras, 10 inches; hind foot, 4.5 inches; weight from 15 pounds 

 average up to 49 pounds maximum. 



Geographical Distribution. — Most of North America from 

 about 50° latitude south. 



Food. — Practically omnivorous: frogs, fish, shell-fish, small 

 mammals, birds, eggs, reptiles, insects, fruit, nuts, com, etc. 



Enemies. — Fisher. 



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