Crab-eating raccoon

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Crab-eating raccoon
An individual at Reserva de Fauna Carmelo, Uruguay

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Procyonidae
Genus: Procyon
Species:
P. cancrivorus
Binomial name
Procyon cancrivorus
(G. Cuvier, 1798)
Subspecies
  • P. c. cancrivorus
  • P. c. aequatorialis
  • P. c. nigripes
  • P. c. panamensis
Crab-eating raccoon range

The crab-eating raccoon or South American raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) is a species of raccoon native to marshy and jungle areas of Central and South America (including Trinidad and Tobago). It is found from Costa Rica south through most areas of South America east of the Andes down to northern Argentina and Uruguay.[1] Despite its name, this species does not feed exclusively on crabs, and the common raccoon also seeks and eats crabs where they are available. In Paraguay, it is known as aguará or agoará popé from Guarani.[2]

Distribution

The crab-eating raccoon can be found in South America and parts of Central America. It can be found in Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.[1]

Diet and anatomy

The crab-eating raccoon eats

Pachysentis procyonis, an acanthocephalan whose species name is derived from the genus of the crab-eating raccoon.[7]

Behavior

The crab-eating raccoon is solitary and nocturnal, primarily terrestrial but will spend a significant amount of time in trees. It is almost always found near streams, lakes, and rivers. In

sympatric with the common raccoon, it will be strictly found in inland rivers and streams, while the common raccoon lives in mangrove forests and swamps. In areas of sympatric range raccoons seen in the day time, in areas with people, in mangroves and in swamps will almost certainly be common raccoon. Less frequently, it will reside in evergreen forests or the plains, but are only rarely found in rainforests.[5]
Compared to the common raccoon, which thrives in urban environments and adapts quickly to the presence of humans, the crab-eating raccoon adapts less easily and is much less likely to be found in human environments.

Reproduction

The crab-eating raccoon breeds between July and September, and gestation lasts between 60 and 73 days. Offspring are born in crevices, hollow trees, or abandoned nests from other creatures. Between two and seven kits are born, with three being the average. While typically crab-eating raccoons only breed once per year, if a female loses all her kits early in the season, they will mate again and have a second litter. Males have no part in raising young, and while attending to young, females will become much more territorial and will not tolerate other raccoons around them.[8]

Gallery

  • Drawing of a crab-eating Raccoon drawn between 1637–1644 by Frans Post
    Drawing of a crab-eating Raccoon drawn between 1637–1644 by Frans Post
  • Skins of a common raccoon (left) and crab-eating raccoon (right)
    Skins of a
    common raccoon
    (left) and crab-eating raccoon (right)
  • Skulls of a common raccoon (left) and crab-eating raccoon (right)
    Skulls of a common raccoon (left) and crab-eating raccoon (right)
  • With brown coat and a much smaller facial mask
    With brown coat and a much smaller facial mask

References

  1. ^ . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. .
  3. ^ Maraj, Sunita (2011). "Procyon cancrivorus (Crab-eating Raccoon)" (PDF). The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago.
  4. ^ a b "Procyon cancrivorus (Crab-eating raccoon)".
  5. ^ .
  6. ^ Silva, P. C. D. (2015). Estudo da Helmintofauna de Galictis cuja (Molina, 1872) (Carnivora, Mustelidae) atropelados na rodovia BR-040, no trecho entre Rio de Janeiro, RJ e Juiz de Fora, MG (Thesis). Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Procyon cancrivorus". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 25 May 2013.

External links