TulsaPets Magazine May 2022

May/June 2022 • TulsaPets 11 Raccoons Masked Marauders Are Skillful Survivors Story and photos by Kim Doner I have one word that’s a sure conversa- tion starter. It’s raccoon . YOU DON’T WANT ONE AS A PET. Wherever I go, everyone (and this is not an exaggeration) has a story, funny or foul, about those infuriating and amazing crea- tures. Although often wronged in horrible ways, raccoons are certainly survivors who have adapted to humans better than most of their wild comrades have. Their biggest problem is humans adapting to raccoons. Raccoons are ancient mammals here in North America, and their legends can be found throughout all Native American lore. Their name describes them well: ahah-koon-em , a combination of Powhatan and Algonquian meaning “one who rubs, scrubs, and scratches with his hands.” And rub, scrub, and scratch they do! Ultrasensitive and Smart Touch is the primary sense that raccoons use. Their incredibly sensitive paws almost make them a superpower because the out- er, horny later becomes extra supple when wet, enabling ultrasensory perception of what they are handling. To top it off, for-real vibrissae (which usually present as whiskers for other animals) are just above a raccoon’s front claws. Those stiff hairs al- low raccoons to identify foods even before they touch them. The information is sent to the specialized cerebral cortex, which interprets the information with more preci- sion than any other animal does. If that makes raccoons sound somewhat smart, that would be an understatement. Raccoons have the dexterity of a monkey, the agility of a cat, the mind of a three- year-old child, and the relentless energy of a kid with five bucks to spend in a candy store. When they want something, they are virtually unstoppable. There have even been studies that prove raccoons remem- ber solving a problem for more than three years. We should sing hallelujah that raccoons don’t have opposable thumbs or humanity would be in trouble. In fact, some areas of humanity are in trouble from raccoons. Apparently their charms were such that earlier Americans introduced them in Europe, and they have now proved to be pests. All these years, I’ve been angry that invasive European species are rampant in the United States (starlings, sparrows, and nilgai). But having read of the havoc that raccoons have wreaked on certain German communities, I realize it has been a fair trade. Social Life and Offspring Yes, raccoons are a mess. Raccoons are smart, adaptable survivors.