Mammals 105 Chapter 4
Racoons
For many pond owners across the continent, the first fish-eating predator that springs to mind is the Raccoon, Procyon lotor, common from Panama to Canada. With its amazingly nimble though thumb-less hands and formidable intelligence, Raccoons have been impressing us since they were first described by Christopher Columbus, and usually for all the wrong reasons. According to studies done in the early 20th century, they are at least as good as Rhesus Monkeys at opening locks; other studies from the 70’s found they remember the solutions to problems for three years. Figuring out how to get your fish is usually well within their grasp – and what a grasp it is. Raccoons are so good at grabbing prey that every one of their names, in every language, refers to this signal attribute. “Raccoon” comes from the Powhatan recorded by John Smith for “he who scratches with his hands”, its Latin name means “near-dog washing”, in Spanish he’s mapache, from the Nauhautl word meaning “he who grabs everything with his hands” – and literally whatever it can grab it will eat. The Raccoon is a true omnivore, with a mixed diet of about two-thirds fish, frogs, tadpoles, insects, worms and other meat and the remaining one-third, plant matter. Fish size does not seem to matter much, at least when it comes to Koi. If they can get a hold of it, they will drag a large fish out of the water and devour it, so don’t make the mistake of thinking a twenty-inch Koi is safe from the clutches of a wily Raccoon.
By Roman Fuchs (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 orGFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
Raccoons prefer to sit either on dry land or in very shallow water when “fishing” for their food. The stiff pads that protect their digits, like our calluses, soften in water, increasing sensitivity, while hundreds of sensory hairs on their fingers feed information directly into their cerebral cortex, more of which is dedicated to those signals than in any other animal known. They really do “see” with their fingers. This gives them a distinct advantage in shallow muddy waters and at night, when they prefer to hunt, but they cannot effectively swim and hunt with the same hands at the same time, so deeper waters render them ineffectual.
That gives pondbuilders a simple construction technique to render Raccoons harmless, the same one that defeats Herons and Egrets. An initial “steep and deep” drop down into the pond instead of a shallow step will eliminate any shallows where Raccoons and other wading predators prefer to hunt. It doesn’t need to be any deeper than about 18 inches, and as long as the sides are vertical the pond will be easy to get in and out of for people, even little people, but pretty uncomfortable for the waders, including Raccoons.
Shallows aren’t the only way for a Raccoon to reach into the water to fish - you may also want to avoid using logs in your water features if Raccoons are a potential problem. Raccoons have been seen hanging upside down by their back legs from a log and snatching fish from the water! An old log can make a very interesting focal point in a pond or stream but you are just inviting the raccoons to a nice little boardwalk access to a free lunch.
Raccoons do not care for wide open spaces, preferring to stay as hidden as possible. You can use this to your advantage and keep landscaping to a minimum if installing a water feature in a Raccoon-infested area. Although Raccoons will come out during the day, they are primarily nocturnal. A simple yard light with a motion detector will sometimes scare away these masked marauders after dark.
For many pond owners across the continent, the first fish-eating predator that springs to mind is the Raccoon, Procyon lotor, common from Panama to Canada. With its amazingly nimble though thumb-less hands and formidable intelligence, Raccoons have been impressing us since they were first described by Christopher Columbus, and usually for all the wrong reasons. According to studies done in the early 20th century, they are at least as good as Rhesus Monkeys at opening locks; other studies from the 70’s found they remember the solutions to problems for three years. Figuring out how to get your fish is usually well within their grasp – and what a grasp it is. Raccoons are so good at grabbing prey that every one of their names, in every language, refers to this signal attribute. “Raccoon” comes from the Powhatan recorded by John Smith for “he who scratches with his hands”, its Latin name means “near-dog washing”, in Spanish he’s mapache, from the Nauhautl word meaning “he who grabs everything with his hands” – and literally whatever it can grab it will eat. The Raccoon is a true omnivore, with a mixed diet of about two-thirds fish, frogs, tadpoles, insects, worms and other meat and the remaining one-third, plant matter. Fish size does not seem to matter much, at least when it comes to Koi. If they can get a hold of it, they will drag a large fish out of the water and devour it, so don’t make the mistake of thinking a twenty-inch Koi is safe from the clutches of a wily Raccoon.
By Roman Fuchs (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 orGFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
Raccoons prefer to sit either on dry land or in very shallow water when “fishing” for their food. The stiff pads that protect their digits, like our calluses, soften in water, increasing sensitivity, while hundreds of sensory hairs on their fingers feed information directly into their cerebral cortex, more of which is dedicated to those signals than in any other animal known. They really do “see” with their fingers. This gives them a distinct advantage in shallow muddy waters and at night, when they prefer to hunt, but they cannot effectively swim and hunt with the same hands at the same time, so deeper waters render them ineffectual.
That gives pondbuilders a simple construction technique to render Raccoons harmless, the same one that defeats Herons and Egrets. An initial “steep and deep” drop down into the pond instead of a shallow step will eliminate any shallows where Raccoons and other wading predators prefer to hunt. It doesn’t need to be any deeper than about 18 inches, and as long as the sides are vertical the pond will be easy to get in and out of for people, even little people, but pretty uncomfortable for the waders, including Raccoons.
Shallows aren’t the only way for a Raccoon to reach into the water to fish - you may also want to avoid using logs in your water features if Raccoons are a potential problem. Raccoons have been seen hanging upside down by their back legs from a log and snatching fish from the water! An old log can make a very interesting focal point in a pond or stream but you are just inviting the raccoons to a nice little boardwalk access to a free lunch.
Raccoons do not care for wide open spaces, preferring to stay as hidden as possible. You can use this to your advantage and keep landscaping to a minimum if installing a water feature in a Raccoon-infested area. Although Raccoons will come out during the day, they are primarily nocturnal. A simple yard light with a motion detector will sometimes scare away these masked marauders after dark.
