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SUMMARY:
- Raccoons are omnivorous and opportunistic, eating a wide variety
of both plant and animal species, depending on what is available in a
given habitat at a particular time of year. In general, plant material
appears to make up a greater part of the diet than does animal
material.
- Plant material consumed includes various soft fruits and berries,
seeds, nuts (particularly acorns) fungi and grass; the most important
crop plant eaten is corn.
- Animal remains identified include various invertebrates, fish,
amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Some species are predated (e.g. eggs
and nestlings of ground-nesting birds, small rodents) but larger
mammals are probably consumed as carrion (e.g. roadkill).
- Additionally, raccoons scavenge from garbage cans and dumps.
General:
- Omnivorous and opportunistic. (B402.6.w5,
B402.1.w1, B403.27.w27,
B405.w1,
B406.38.w38, B147)
- Hundreds of different plant and animal species have been found in
excreta and in raccoon stomachs, raccoons seem to eat whatever is
available, with relative proportions of food varying depending on time
of year and habitat. The only constant seems to be that plants are
more important than animals in the diet of raccoons. (B403.27.w27,
B405.w1)
- Principal items of the diet vary depending on where the raccoons live,
however nuts, grass seeds, and fruits have been found in droppings
throughout the range. (B400.w10)
- Raccoons can be serious corn thieves, fleshy fruit are another
favourite. They also take frogs,
crayfish, salamanders and other small animals; during the winter their
main food is acorns (B400.w10).
- Raccoons will prey upon practically all large insects and small
vertebrates, including muskrats and rabbits found in their habitat. (B400.w10)
- Raccoons tend to eat more vegetable matter than animal matter during
most of the year, as shown by most studies, however
proportions and types of foods fluctuate with availability. (B402.6.w5,
B403.27.w27)
- In spring, animal material may exceed plant material in the diet.
(B403.27.w27)
- In summer, fruits are important, and in some areas also corn. (B403.27.w27)
- In autumn, fruits, corn and other plant foods are more important
than animal foods. (B403.27.w27)
- In winter the most important dietary item is acorns, together with
remaining corn and fruit, invertebrates, small vertebrates, and in
marshes also crippled waterfowl and trapped muskrats. (B403.27.w27)
- Raccoons are one of the most omnivorous animals. (B406.38.w38)
- Raccoons are opportunistic omnivores, eating whatever food is
available in their environment. (B285.w2, B402.6.w5)
- Faecal samples of raccoons included 46 different plant species, the
skeletal remains of small mammals, snail shells, fragments of beetle,
crayfish and bird eggshells, fur, feathers, aluminium foil, cellophane
wrappers, string, paper, cloth, plastic and rubber bands (J332.58.w1).
- Raccoons are known to eat fresh road-kill. (J332.58.w1)
- Diet mainly composed of crayfish, crabs, other arthropods, frogs,
fish, nuts, seeds, acorns and berries. (B147)
- Raccoons forage for fish, and aquatic insects in wetlands, in upland
areas they eat fruit, berries, nuts and seeds. They will take
stored grain, insects, earthworms, and sweetcorn. (B285.w2)
- Fruit, berries, nuts and seeds seem to be preferred wild foods, (B402.6.w5).
Due to a preference for sweet things, anything sweet in
dumpsters, trash cans and tips is eagerly consumed. (B402.6.w5)
- A study in Virginia found the diet of raccoons in one location during
summer and fall to be 41.7% animal, 27.2% vegetable and 31.2% soil and
detritus, with insects, especially ground beetles (Carabidae) and water
beetles (Dystiscidae) important in the diet, whereas at another
location, plant foods, mainly corn, made up 98% of the diet (corn being
76.3% by dry weight) in spring and early summer. (J40.36.w3)
- A study of the activities of raccoons in California in summer along
the deep canyon where the Carmel River enters San Clemente Lake, reported
raccoons to be eating crayfish and manzanita berries (Eastwood manzanita
Arctostaphylosa glandulosa), at different locations (droppings
contained the remains of one or the other, not both). (J332.28.w1)
- Garbage is a common source of raccoon food. (B403.27.w27,
J40.67.w2)
- In residential areas raccoons will open or tip over
rubbish bins to forage for leftovers. (B180.w1,
J40.67.w2)
- Raccoons make use of refuse as a food source in urban and suburban
areas; so much food is available that urban raccoons are in better
physical condition than rural raccoons. (J40.67.w2)
Individual items that have been identified within the raccoon diet include:
INVERTEBRATE:
- Invertebrate prey make up a larger part of the raccoon diet than do vertebrates. (B402.6.w5,
B403.27.w27)
Annelida
- Annelid worms (Phylum)
- Worms. (B180.w1,
B402.6.w5)
- Marine and land annelids. (B403.27.w27)
Mollusca
- Molluscs (Phylum)
Crustacea
- Crustaceans and Pentastomes (Phylum)
- Crayfish remains are found in a large proportion of raccoon scats. (B180.w1,
B285.w2, B402.6.w5,
B403.27.w27, B405.w1).
- Crabs. (B402.6.w5,
B403.27.w27)
- Shrimps. (B402.6.w5,
B403.27.w27, B405.w1)
- Crayfish, especially Cambarus and Astacus spp. are an
important animal food, particularly in spring. (B403.27.w27)
- Crayfish. (J332.28.w1)
Sea Urchins- Echinodermata (Phylum)
Grasshoppers and Crickets Orthoptera
- Grubs, grasshoppers and crickets. (B180.w1,
B402.6.w5, B403.27.w27)
Dragonflies and damselflies Odonata
- Dragonfly larvae. (B180.w1)
- Dragonflies. (B402.6.w5)
Arachnida - Arachnids (Class)
- Spiders and spider egg cases. (B402.6.w5)
Hemiptera-True
bugs (Order)
- Beetles and bugs. (B403.27.w27)
VERTEBRATE: Craniata
-
Vertebrates (Phylum-Division)
- Most classes of vertebrate are taken as food. (B403.27.w27)
Mammalia
- Mammals (Class)
- Meadow voles and a range of mice species; during the spring in Michigan mice make up a to a third of their diet. (B402.6.w5)
- Gophers, ground and tree squirrels, muskrats (from traps, either alive or dead),
moles, rabbits, jackrabbits, occasionally mink. (B402.6.w5)
- Carrion of large mammals including deer, cattle, and horses. (B402.6.w5,
B403.27.w27)
- Occasionally raccoons will cannibalise younger, smaller, unrelated
raccoons. (B402.6.w5,
B403.27.w27)
- Voles (Microtus
- (Genus)), deer mice (Peromyscus - Muridae (Family)), squirrels (Sciurus-
(Genus)), rice rats (Nectomys - Muridae (Family)), muskrat
(Ondatra zibethicus - Muridae (Family))
young,
and other small mammals. (B180.w1,
B403.27.w27)
- Muskrats and rabbits (Leporidae (Family)). (B400.w10,
B403.27.w27, B405.w1)
- The two most commonly eaten mammals as shown by fur found in
droppings are the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus -
Leporidae (Family)) and the Norwegian rat (Rattus
norvegicus - Brown rat). (J332.58.w1)
- Eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus - Leporidae (Family))
and muskrats
(Ondatra zibethicus - Muridae (Family))
are reported to be taken by raccoons. (B406.38.w38)
- Rodents, including cricetids, gophers, ground squirrels and tree
squirrels (Sciuridae - Squirrels, Marmots etc.),
young muskrat
(Ondatra zibethicus - Muridae (Family)),
Sylvilagus spp. (Leporidae (Family)),
shrew and moles and all eaten. (B403.27.w27)
- Mustela vison - American mink, jackrabbits
(Leporidae (Family))
and small raccoons are taken, although at least sometimes
as carrion. (B403.27.w27)
- Carrion of deer, cattle and horses is eaten. (B403.27.w27)
Aves
- Birds (Class)
- Raccoons will eat bird eggs and nestlings. (B180.w1,
B405.w1)
- Raccoons take eggs and nestlings of ground-nesting birds, including game
species such as the
eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and the northern
bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus- Odontophoridae
(Family)).
(J40.67.w1)
- Birds are often taken as prey, although predation is variable and
depends on accessibility of nest sites to raccoons. Ground
nesting seabirds are particularly vulnerable. (B402.6.w5)
- Herring gulls, ancient murrelets, red-winged blackbirds,
yellow-winged blackbirds, common grackles, and brown-headed cowbirds,
ducks (Anseriformes -
(Order)), rails, coots, woodpeckers, pheasants, and quail (Galliformes -
(Order)) remains all appear in raccoon scats. More unusual
prey recorded include short-eared owls, moorhens, great blue herons, black-crowned
night herons, and double crested cormorants. (B402.6.w5,
B403.27.w27)
- Hunter-killed or crippled geese may be eaten. (B403.27.w27)
- Raccoons have been recorded preying on the nest of a red-tailed
hawk. (B402.6.w5,
B403.27.w27)
- Passerines (Passeriformes -
(Order)) are occasionally taken, as are Woodpeckers (Picidae-
(Family)), pheasants and quail. (B403.27.w27)
- Birds reported to be eaten by raccoons include Branta canadensis - Canada goose (Species),
Aix sponsa
- Wood duck (Species), ground nesting ducks, American
coots (Fulica americana - Fulica - Coots (Genus))
and eggs of ducks and coots. (B406.38.w38)
Reptilia
- Reptiles (Class)
- Turtles and turtle eggs. (B180.w1,
B403.27.w27)
- Water and garter snakes. (B402.6.w5)
- Fresh water turtles including mud turtles, snapping turtles and
other species, turtle eggs, and alligator eggs. (B402.6.w5,
B403.27.w27)
- Sea turtle eggs. (B402.6.w5,
B403.27.w27)
- In Florida, raccoons are a major predator of turtle eggs. (J360.39.w1)
- Very rarely, lizards (Squamata -
(Order)) and snakes (Natrix-(Genus),
and Thamhopis (Garter Snakes, Colubridae-
(Family)) are eaten. (B403.27.w27)
- In marsh areas, raccoons have been known to take the eggs of
alligators (Alligatoridae
- (Family)). (B403.27.w27)
Amphibia
- Amphibians (Class)
- Frogs are taken while in woodland streams. (B180.w1)
- Frogs and salamanders. (B400.w10,
B402.6.w5, B403.27.w27,
B405.w1)
- Amphibians, even frogs, are not important in the diet, while
salamanders are taken very rarely. (B403.27.w27)
Osteichthyes- Ray finned fish (Class)
- Centrarchids; sunfish, bass, bluegills. (B402.6.w5)
- Cyprinids; caps and minnows. (B402.6.w5)
- Catfish, gar, pike, perch, gar, suckers, trout, pickerel, shad and
bullheads have all been observed being eaten by raccoons. (B403.27.w27)
- Fish may be important food items temporarily when found in drying
pools of water. (B403.27.w27)
Plant material (Plantae
- Plants (Kingdom)):
- The common raccoon will eat grapes, nuts, berries, pawpaw, black
cherries, acorns, and corn. (B180.w1,
B402.6.w5)
- Acorns (B403.27.w27), corn, persimmon, grapes, beech nuts, hazel nuts, holly
berries, pawpaw, hackberry, and hickory, pecan nuts, palmetto seeds,
pokeweed, mulberry. (B400.w10)
- 7, 084 seeds from 24 different plant species were found in faecal
samples. Cherries, hackberries, grapes, bumelia, woodbine, rose,
firethorn, dogwood, plum, and buckthorn were the 10 most commonly found (J332.58.w1).
- American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), blackberry and
dewberry (Rubus sp.), grape (Vitis sp.), muscadine (Vitis
rotundifolia) and other soft fruit. (J40.67.w1,
B402.6.w5)
- Acorns of many oak species are one of the most important foodstuffs. (B402.6.w5)
- Corn is the most eaten crop food, although wheat, barley, oats,
millet, sorghum and sunflowers are also consumed. (B402.6.w5)
- Fleshy fruits, nuts, grain, weed seeds, fungi, buds, grasses and other
herbaceous plants are all found in the diet of raccoons. (B403.27.w27)
- Manzanita berries - Eastwood manzanita Arctostaphylosa glandulosa. (J332.28.w1)
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