Raccoon: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the raccoon lives – recorded in 13 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Procyon lotor
Group	Raccoons, coatis & relatives
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	13 countries
Continents	Asia, Europe, North America
Lifespan	2.45 years (wild animal); 20 years (domesticated animal)
Diet (main food)	plant material, invertebrate
Class	Mammal
Order	Carnivora
Family	Procyonidae

Where does the raccoon live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the raccoon in 13 countries and territories across Asia, Europe and North America. Wikidata gives its range as: Canada, United States, Mexico. In Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, France, Japan, Luxembourg it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

United States
Luxembourg (introduced)
Germany (introduced)
Belgium (introduced)
France (introduced)
Canada
Japan (introduced)
Mexico
Switzerland (introduced)
Guatemala
Guadeloupe
Costa Rica
Austria (introduced)

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

How long does a raccoon live?

Wikidata records a life expectancy of 2.45 years (wild animal); 20 years (domesticated animal) for the raccoon.

What does a raccoon eat?

Wikidata lists the main food source of the raccoon as: plant material, invertebrate.

Is the raccoon endangered?

The raccoon’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the raccoon?

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a mammal in the order Carnivora and the family Procyonidae, genus Procyon. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the raccoon

The raccoon ( or US: , Procyon lotor), sometimes called the North American, northern or common raccoon (also spelled racoon) to distinguish it from other species of raccoon, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of 40 to 70 cm (16 to 28 in), and a body weight of 5 to 26 kg (11 to 57 lb). Its grayish coat mostly consists of dense underfur, which insulates it against cold weather. The animal's most distinctive features include its extremely dexterous front paws, its facial mask, and its ringed tail, which are common themes in the mythologies of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas surrounding the species. The raccoon is noted for its intelligence, and studies show that it can remember the solution to tasks for at least three years. It is usually nocturnal and omnivorous, eating about 40% invertebrates, 33% plants, and 27% vertebrates.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Raccoon (revision 1380701690), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q121439 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).