Procyon (genus)
Procyon | |
---|---|
Common raccoon (P. lotor)
| |
Crab-eating raccoon (P. cancrivorus) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Procyonidae |
Subfamily: | Procyoninae
|
Tribe: | Procyonini
|
Subtribe: | Procyonina |
Genus: | Procyon Storr, 1780 |
Type species | |
Ursus lotor | |
Species | |
|
Procyon is a
General attributes
Raccoons are unusual, for their
Although there is some variation depending on species, raccoons range from 20–40 inches (51–102 cm) in length (including the tail) and weigh between 10 and 35 lb (4.5 and 15.9 kg). The raccoon's tail ranges from 8 to 16 inches (20 to 41 cm) in length. Male raccoons are generally larger than females. A baby raccoon is called a kit.[6]
Raccoons can live up to 16 years in the wild, though most do not make it through their second year. A raccoon that survives past its youth will live an average of five years. Primary causes of mortality include humans (hunting, trapping, cars) and malnutrition.[7]
Species
There are three extant species of raccoon:
Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Description | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|
Procyon lotor | Raccoon, common raccoon, northern raccoon | Raccoons can live in the city or the wild. While not domesticated, they are—on rare occasion—kept as pets. | Southern Canada to Panama, and has been introduced to continental Europe and the Japanese archipelago | |
P. cancrivorus | Crab-eating raccoon, southern raccoon | Based on genetic studies, the lineages of common and crab-eating raccoons are thought to have separated about 4.2 million years ago. gracile . |
Costa Rica through most areas of South America east of the Andes down to northern Argentina and Uruguay. | |
P. pygmaeus | Cozumel raccoon, pygmy raccoon | Smaller head and body than the common raccoon. Tail has yellow tint. | Cozumel, an island off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán peninsula. |
Some raccoons once considered as separate species are now thought to be the same as or
Nomenclature
The word "raccoon" is derived from the Algonquian word aroughcoune, "he who scratches with his hands". Spanish-speaking colonists similarly adopted their term, mapache, from mapachtli the Nahuatl word for the animal, meaning roughly "that which has hands".
The genus name, Procyon, comes from the Greek for "before the dog"; this term is also used for the star Procyon of the constellation Canis Minor.
Raccoons are today understood to have a relatively loose evolutionary relationship with
In some cases, the "washing" descriptor is applied only to the common raccoon species: for example, in French the common raccoon is called raton laveur or "washing rat", while its Linnaean binomial is Procyon lotor or, roughly, "washing pre-dog". In contrast, the crab-eating raccoon is "little crab-catching rat" (raton crabier) and "crab-eating pre-dog" (Procyon cancrivorus) in French and Latin, respectively.
Literature
- Helgen, K.M.; Wilson, D.E. (2003). "Taxonomic status and conservation relevance of the raccoons (Procyon spp.) of the West Indies". Journal of Zoology. 259. London: 69–76. S2CID 86210627.
- Helgen, K.M. & Wilson, D.E. 2005. A systematic and zoogeographic overview of the raccoons of Mexico and Central America. Pp. 219–234 in Sanchez-Cordero, V. & Medellin, R.A. (eds.). Contribuciones Mastozoologicas: en Homenaje a Bernardo Villa. Mexico City: Instituto de Biologia e Instituto de Ecologia, UNAM.
See also
- List of procyonids - all species in the parent family Procyonidae
- Raccoon dog- an unrelated animal sometimes confused with raccoons
- Red panda
References
- ISBN 0-231-03733-3
- PMID 17174109.
- PMID 20138220.
- ^ PMID 24003317.
- ^ "Trapping nuisance wildlife". Official website. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ Raccoon facts
- ^ ADW: Procyon lotor: Information
External links