Page 8 - Jupiter Spotlight - April '25

Page 8, Jupiter Spotlight
Northern Notes

Raccoons – Misunderstood
Masked Marauders

By Katie Roundtree,
Director of Finance and
Administration
Northern Palm Beach
County Improvement District
Trash pandas, bandits,
thieves—these are all
nicknames for northern
raccoons. Raccoons, common
throughout Florida, are a
testament to the adaptability
of wildlife. They can thrive
in both urban and rural environments, even as their natural
habitats shrink. A large part of their success is due to their
adaptability to new challenges and opportunities, whether Perhaps their most important role in the ecosystem NPDES tip: Your neighborhood drainage system
that’s nesting in cozy chimneys, invading chicken coops, or is consuming carrion (or dead animal carcasses), which is not a garbage disposal – don’t treat it like one.
breaking into trash bins, their reputation as sneaky thieves helps keep the ecosystem clean. In addition to benefiting Encourage residents to take responsibility and to not
who prefer to steal trash to survive is a testament to their ecosystems, raccoons also help keep urban areas clean by dump chemicals, fertilizer, paint, oil, etc., in inlets or
intelligence and resourcefulness. consuming dead animals on our streets. pipes. Discourage sweeping of lawn clippings and dirt
Raccoons are about the size of a small dog and weigh While raccoons can carry diseases such as rabies and into street drains and disposing of lawn clippings and
around 1 to 25 pounds when fully grown. They are roundworm, good hygiene and not handling raccoons can other debris (wood, concrete blocks, Christmas trees, etc.)
most notable for their black eye masks and ringed tails. limit the spread. The best advice is to leave them alone, directly into retention lakes. Keep drainage facilities clear
Raccoons also have flat feet, with their hind legs longer give them their space, wash your hands after gardening, of vegetation, trash, improperly and illegally discarded
than their front legs, giving them a hunched appearance. and secure trash cans or other tantalizing targets. If you appliances, shopping carts, tires, cars, garbage bags, etc.
Their feet have five moveable toes, allowing them to grab suspect a raccoon is sick or behaving unusually, it’s best
and handle food. Both a raccoon’s front and rear paws to contact local wildlife authorities for assistance.
resemble a human hand, featuring five slender, finger-
like toes that enable them to easily manipulate food and “Service is our number one priority”
objects. Raccoons have extremely sensitive front paws
with specialized hairs, allowing them to easily locate 561-743-0070
and identify objects by touching them. This sensitivity
increases when their paws are wet. While it appears that
raccoons “wash” their food by dunking it in water, they www.palmspoolservices.com
are actually using this behavior to enhance their sense
of touch. In fact, their scientific name, Procyon lotor,
literally means “washing dog.” When raccoons dunk
their food in the water and, seemingly, wash it, they
are really just making their paws more sensitive. Water
increases the tactile nerve responsiveness of their paws,
allowing them to learn more about what they are holding
and eating. The highly developed nerves in their forepaw
pads and their manipulative abilities help them to identify
items. Their forepaws are almost like a second set of
eyes. They will often rub and roll objects in their hands
or will even rub their hands together when they are not
holding anything.
Raccoons are also extremely intelligent and good at Expires 5/15/25.
solving complex problems. Some measures of intelligence
have placed raccoons above cats but below primates in State Licensed & Insured CPC #
their ability to distinguish between objects. They have Serving Palm Beach County 1457468 • LPG#30099
exceptional memories and can remember the solution to
tasks for up to three years without reinforcement.
Raccoons will eat almost anything. Raccoons are not
fussy about their choice of food. Although classified as
a carnivore, the raccoon eats as much, if not more, plant
matter as animal matter during the year. When ripe fruits,
acorns, and seeds are available, raccoons feed heavily on
them. At other times and places, they will feed on bird
and turtle eggs, insects, crayfish and crabs, frogs, fish
and small mammals. They’ll eat dead animals that they
encounter, raid bird feeders for seed and pet food bowls
for kibble and check out garbage cans that aren’t secured.
Raccoons are not fussy about their living quarters
either. Under normal conditions, they usually select a
den in a hollow tree limb instead of the trunk. Dens in Life moves fast—
trees may be anywhere from ground level to 60 feet above

ground. However, in urban areas, raccoons demonstrate prepare for the unexpected
their adaptability by choosing a wide variety of “cavities,”
including rock and debris piles, attics, crawl spaces with Accident Insurance.
beneath homes, decks, sheds, culverts, sewer drains
and the burrows of other animals. This adaptability is a
testament to their resilience and survival skills in the face
of changing environments.
Like all living creatures, raccoons play a critical role
a gardener or pest control, and they’re often referred to We’re here to help.
in their ecosystems. Their role can be similar to that of
as a natural “cleanup crew.” The raccoon diet, a mix of
plants, invertebrates and small mammals, serves a unique Accident insurance complements your Florida Blue Health Plan. Call to learn more
purpose in the ecosystem. When they consume berries about insurance plans from USAble Life.
and nuts, raccoons act as natural gardeners, distributing
seeds to promote the growth of new plants and trees. Their M&A Insurance and Financial Services Inc.
digging behavior contributes to soil turnover, promoting
decomposition and plant renewal. 561-440-9940
Raccoons help control populations of parasitic species
like lizards, frogs, toads and rats. When these creatures M&A Insurance and Financial Services Inc. is an Independent Broker of Florida Blue.
Florida Blue is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Supplemental, Life, and Disability products are offered by USAble Life. USAble Life is an independent company
grow abundant, raccoon populations rise to curb the and operates separately from Florida Blue.
population growth. Raccoons also help protect bees by 22L-USAL-0872 112941 1222
feeding on wasps, one of the bee’s main predators.