What Do Raccoons Eat
Raccoons are medium-sized mammals with distinctive facial markings that have the appearance of a bandits mask. They are native to Central and North America, but have also been deliberately or accidentally introduced into parts of Europe, the Middle East and Japan. They can reach 70 cm (28 in.) in length and 9kg (20 lbs) in weight. If you want to know the common diet of the raccoon, keep reading to find out.
What do raccoons eat?
Raccoons are omnivorous (eat both plants and animals) and will eat a variety of different foods. The breakdown of a common raccoon diet is approximately 27% vertebrates, 33% plant foods and 40% invertebrates. They will eat insects, worms and other small animals in the spring and summer. They will occasionally eat larger prey, such as large frogs and fish, when other food cannot be found. Raccoons are also known to eat birds eggs and new hatchlings because they are easy to catch. Raccoons quickly develop favorite foods during times when the food is plentiful. Their favorite foods seems to be fruits and nuts, which they eat during late summer and autumn to build up fat for the winter months.
Did you know?
In captivity raccoons develop an interesting habit where they “wash” their food in water before eating it. This behavior has never been seen in the wild!
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