OLD WHITE FACE

Evening Star, Issue 21786, 31 July 1934, Page 12

OLD WHITE FACE

LIFE OF THE RACOON During late April and early May the young of the racoon appear on the scene. Four is the usual number in the litter; there may be‘as few as two, or as many as six, writes Harper Cory, in the ‘Manchester Guardian.’ The larger the litter the more fortunate, is the lot of the new arrivals, for the mother overestimates the virtues of - 'eanliness. She plagues her offspring y washing them on every possible pretext. If the family is small she may, : torally, wash her young to death. They Chur-chur-chur!” persistently in protest, but the mother growls and carries on with the good work. The result is that.. washing becomes a fixed habit with racoons,' and, wherever water is available, they refuse to taste food unless it has been well and truly washed. I have watched these creatures groping in the mud for frogs, fish, and worms. They make a soft whirring noise of pleasure when the hunting is • good; then they wash the catch, not once but many times before .hey dine. - The racoon’s English name is the Anglicised - form of arocoun, an Iroquois Indian picture-word meaning “scratches with his hands.” It is an apt name, for trees in racoon territory are badly marked by the long nails on the animal’s forepaws as he climbs to his suntraps. He has attained his paradise when he can find a hollow branch in a tall tree: the higher the branch the better he likes it, for there he can ’ie all day fully exposed to the sun. He will make this his permanent home, to which he returns periodically, and it will also be the birthplace _ of his young. He is not content with one home, however; he has several scattered about his feeding-grounds Strangely enough, he shuns coniferous woods. He may make a den in a rocky crevice, but I have never known a raccoon to live in a hole, in the ground or in a conifer.

Although a nester and tree-climber, he feeds on the ground exclusively, and he will devour practically anything eatable. Eggs, frogs, fish, reptiles, fruits, nuts, all figure on his menu; and he is as notorious as the black bear for robbing honey from the wild bees. Very slow in his movements, he is a nocturnal creature who moves with extreme caution. I have usually found racoons prowling near water after dusk. They are sociable and live in small family parties, but they never travel in bands, as some writers have wrongly claimed.

He is especially noisy in autumn, and I think this row is his attempt at the singing of love lyrics. The animals hibernate for two or throe months, and »s winter torpor is usually (associated vith long gestation wo have a second suggestion of autumn mating. Strictly monogamous, the racoon remains with his mate to- help her in training the young. The bahies arc kept to the nest and suckled by the mother for

several weeks, but about mid-July she allows them to bask in the sun at the ipening of the den; they are then vbout one-third grown. They do not move far from cover, . and retire immediately at the slightest suspicion of danger. They are well able to fend for themselves by late autumn, but the family life continues to the following spring. Thus as many as eight racoons may be living in the same den inside a hollow tree, ready to shock the woodsman who cuts it down. Racoons live up to twenty-five years. VERY CURIOUS, The racoon has prominent light patches fore and aft which are noticeable when he moves through the dart undergrowth. His fur is brownishgrey, but the spine and back are marked with long hairs tipped with black. His face, however, is dull white, with a dark spot on each cheek, and a ring of dark hairs encircles each eye. The belly and feet are pale grey, bur the bushy tail is marked, by six or seven alternative black-and-white rings encircling it. Thus, while the general colouring of his body is protective the face and tail act as signposts - n the dark. • ; . -.

He has an overwhelming curiosity about bright objects, and -when he sees a shining trap he has to examine it —to his sorrow. But even though his foot bo locked in the trap he is not always caught. He may leave his foot behind, preferring three feet and freedom to four and death. His courage is amazing, and ho is more than a match for any dog; sometimes he wi r sot four dogs howling to flight. Racoons caught before they begin to hunt for themselves are easily tamed, and they make charming pets. They show great intelligence, but arc suspicious of strangers, to whom they can be thoroughly nasty. Old racoons captured alive cannot respond to kindness; they long for freedom and are extremely dangerous at all times. Tame racoon's are so intelligent and mischievous that they cannot be given the freedom of the house. They use their forepaws as hands, and quickly learn how to unlatch doors and turn the knob of a door handle. Such items as taking corks out of bottles and screwing the lids off small jars and bottles are mere child’s play to them. Having a great love of sweet things, they will devour anything tasty they can see or smell, whether it be jam, honey,' sweets, cakes, jellies, or preserved fruits. _ It is a waste of time to hide such things —the racoon will find them and eat them. If he cannot eat them all at once ho will hido the surplus where even his owner cannot find it.