subject: The Raccoon : The Raccoon Is Still Reintroduced In The Ussr [print this page] The raccoon, or more accurately the common raccoon (Procyon lotor, Linnaeus 1758), is a kind of omnivorous mammal native groom, and reintroduced in Europe in the 1930s after his death, a century earlier. It takes its name from its habit, more or less real, to dip his food in water before eating. Lanimal of the family Procyonidae, is mainly nocturnal and easily climbs trees with his nimble fingers and sharp claws. He has salt and pepper coat with slight tints of red. It is easily recognized by its black mask edged in white around the eyes and tail striped black and white. The raccoon adapts to many natural environments.
Opportunistic and easy to tame, he saventure also in cities in North America (Canada, United States of America). Its behavior varies by gender and region where he lives. It is still hunted for its fur, but is not an endangered or even threatened.
The Raccoon is 80 cm on average with variations between 60 cm and 105 cm depending on the individuals, including the tail . Males are larger and heavier than females.
The mass of the raccoon is between 3.9 and 9 kg on average . The larger individuals living in northern regions (8.5 kg on average in Canada); record up to 28 kg .The weight fluctuates seasonally, peaking at Lautomne: its mass may rise 50% in areas north .
The fur is usually gray-brown, drawing more or less to gray or brown. The face is white with large black patches around the eyes in a mask and a black stripe on the nose. Some individuals are white, but Lalbin is very rare. The moult begins in spring and can setal three months. The summer coat is short for raccoon.
The head is broad, pointed snout, black eyes and the ears shorter (4-6 cm). Lanimal has long canines like all carnivores. The legs are fitted with five fingers non retractable claws. The feet are between 100 and 125 mm.
The tail of the raccoon is generally long, 20-28 cm and can measure up to 40 cm. It has 5-7 black or brown rings and its end is always black.
Native to North America and Europe, present case occupies the southern Canada and most of the United States, Mexico and Central Lamere, in the tropics . It is rare in the Caribbean. It is absent from some areas of the Rocky Mountains because of laltitude, deserts and the Great Northern. In Europe, it is in Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Belarus and in the Caucasus. He never lived naturally in Japan.
Raccoons frequent the mixed forest, hardwood forest and agricultural areas. It is found in forest edges, along streams and in swamps deau in almost all latitudes of the Sea North. It can also live in urban parks and suburbs.
The territory of raccoon varies between 1 and 50 km2 according to population density . The female does not defend its territory. The average density of 4-20 individuals per km2 farmland and up to 100 per km2 in town . The Dun male ranges are between 2-12 females during breeding.
In the 1930s, the raccoon is reintroduced in the USSR and Germany for its fur farms delevage and add to the forest fauna extinct for several centuries in Europe. Perfectly acclimatized and in the absence of predators, it has proliferated since. Today, there are about 100,000 raccoons in Europe. Present case is present in Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, France (Aisne, where he was introduced by American soldiers) , Switzerland, Poland and Belgium.
Today it is considered a threat to biodiversity and has been classified by the Council of EUROPE as invasive species eradication effort which is recommended because of its impact on local wildlife . In France it is on the list of animals that may be classified by prefectural harmful.
The main predator of the raccoon is Lhomme. In pre-Columbian lepoque he was chased by Indians who appreciated his flesh and his dress. In modern times and the nineteenth century trappers and voyageurs captured and practiced the fur trade. Lapogee of this trade was reached in the 1920s between 1941 and 1989 more than 1.7 million of pups were killed for their fur alone in the Nebraska State then . Today, the fur of raccoon with little value and being difficult to work , this activity has fallen into disuse.
Although primarily hunted for their fur, raccoons have also long been an important food source for Native Americans and the Americans and the barbecued raccoon was a traditional dish in the U.S. farms. It was often a feast. The American slaves ate raccoon at Christmas, but this was not necessarily a dish or poor peasants in the daily The Golden Era of San Francisco from December 21, 1856, the raccoon is one of the specialties recommended festivals and raccoon Rebecca received by U.S.
President Calvin Coolidge had been sent originally to be served at Thanksgiving dinner at the White House . The first edition of The Joy of Cooking, published in 1931, contained a recipe for preparing raccoon with laccureuil and lopossum. She suggested denlever musk glands and fat before roasting and lanimal laccompagner with sweet potatoes .
