What is a raccoon’s natural diet?

Wild animals cannot be kept as pets. This is what our common sense tells us. However, if we think, anyone of us sees a wild animal in our premises, what should we do? Do we let them live in the property region or will try to get them out? Off course, the second option is preferable by all of us. The fact is that raccoons are quite a unique species of animals with amazing natural features, and their diet is unique as well. In other words, they only eat specific foods at any given time. These animals, colloquially known as coons, are generally omnivorous and this means that they eat both plants and animals. In a nut shell, the raccoon’s diet consists of 40% invertebrates, 27% vertebrates, and the remaining 33% is plants. Nevertheless, the ratio will vary based on where the raccoon is living at that particular point in time. For instance, in case it lives next to a dumpster, it will tend to eat more of what is readily available, especially in urban areas – and the case is comparatively different when it lives in the wild.

The raccoons that live in the wild love to eat nuts and fruits, but at the same time they will go for birds, fish, and worm. It’s all a matter of availability and abundance of specific foods in defined areas that they live. These animals have a great appetite for small reptiles like snakes too. They have a unique character when it comes to eating, and they seem to wash the food before finally gnawing it. However, research shows that this kind of action is meant to remove any unwanted parts. As for the dipping in water, scientific research indicates that this action is only meant to increase the sense of touch.

The raccoon’s natural diet also consists of rodents and eggs, and this is the kind of delicacy they like to thrive on. Overall, these omnivorous animals are also known to be opportunistic carnivores. It will not be wrong to say that the animals can eat virtually everything they come across. As a matter of fact, apart from their appearance, a raccoon’s eating habits tend to separate them from the other animals that fall in the same group.

Facts about their eating habits
It is important to note that during the summer these animals tend to eat so much fruits and grains. In winter, they prefer small rodents and mammals. They forage in both fresh and saline waters for food, but will also go for vegetable agricultural crops if available. In saline water, they will go aheadand eat oysters and crabswithout any problem at all. These “clever beasts” as they are described by zoologists are definitely worth every study due to their unmatched intelligence.

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