Raccoon

Appearance 

• Thick grayish fur with a black ringed tail.
• Black mask around the eyes.
• Extremely dextrous front paws. 

Behaviour and Habitat

• Nocturnal but sometimes active during the day.
• Den in tree hollows, stumps, abandoned burrows and accessible buildings such as barns, garages, sheds and attics.
• Adults are usually solitary, though they will congregate if there is a good food source.
• Have one litter a year typically consisting of 2 to 5 young.
• Kits are born blind and deaf and are weaned by 16 weeks, although they remain with their mother for one year.
• Excellent swimmers and climbers.
• Their front paws are hand-like and able to undo latches and pry things open.
• They have a number of predators in Saskatoon including coyote, foxes and great horned owls. 

Diet

• Raccoons are omnivores. They feed on variety of foods including insects, worms, fruits, berries, nuts, fish, amphibians, bird eggs and pet food.

Co-existing with Raccoons

Raccoons are well adapted to urban areas and are commonly found in Saskatoon. To prevent raccoons from entering your property, remove sources of food and shelter and consider these tips:

• Ensure garbage, compost, bird seed and pet food are not accessible.
• Prevent access to garages, sheds, barns and attics by securing potential entry points.
• Prune tree branches that overhang or provide access to buildings. Tree trunks can also be wrapped in sheet metal to prevent climbing.
• If a raccoon is injured, trapped or diseased, call Urban Biological Services at 306-975-3300.

When raccoons inhabit an area, they establish a community latrine. These latrines can be located at the base or in forks of trees, on raised horizontal surfaces (logs, stumps, wood piles, rocks, decks, patios), or in attics and garages.

Raccoon feces may contain raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis), which lives in the raccoon's intestine and produces microscopic eggs that are shed in the feces. This parasite can be very harmful to humans and a variety of other animals. Consult public health authorities for information on cleaning raccoon latrines.