Raccoons were once thought to be mostly solitary, but are now known to live in loose groupings of around four raccoons to a given area.
Raccoons are usually active at night and are omnivorous – eating both plants and animals. Most of their diet consists of insects, worms, and other invertebrates, though they also eat nuts, acorns, birds, small mammals, frogs, fish and eggs when available.
One behavior often observed in raccoons is called “dousing”, in which they appear to be washing food items in water with their hands. In reality, raccoons often forage near shores and banks for food, and may examine and remove items from pieces of food with their hands, giving the appearance of washing.
Raccoons live in a variety of habitats, though they prefer somewhere close to water with enough trees around to climb in case they need to flee from danger. They are found throughout North America, with the exception of the extreme north.
