UPPER NEWPORT BAY UPDATE:Eye-opening raccoon facts

Many of us have at least some impression of, or experience with, a raccoon. Perhaps it comes from some adventure (or misadventure) at a family picnic or while on a camping trip. Maybe you have caught the eyes of one with your car lights on a dark night, had one nesting in your attic or had to discourage one from raiding your garbage at some point.

Despite the mischief this “masked bandit” can sometimes cause, the raccoon plays an important role in the ecosystem by helping to maintain healthy populations and distributing seeds from what is caught or foraged.

The widely distributed Common or Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor) fills an important ecological niche in and around Upper Newport Bay, as well as throughout much of the Western hemisphere. In addition to P. lotor, there are two other species. These are the Crab-eating Raccoon (P. cancrivorus) and Tres Marias Raccoon (P. insularis), species native to the tropics and the Caribbean, respectfully. It is P. Lotor, however, with a range from southern Canada, through Central America and into parts of South America; that is most numerous and represents the species that most of us know.

Raccoons belong to the Genus Procyon, part of the Procyonidae Family, which includes of a number of considerably lesser-known species, including the Civet cat, Coatis, Kinkajous, Olingos and Cacomistle. The genus name, Procyon, is from the Greek, meaning “pre-dog,” suggesting the lineage the raccoons share with the dog. The common name raccoon is derived from the Algonquin word, aroughcoune — “he who scratches with his hands.”

Despite what is best described as a wide and varied diet, the omnivorous raccoon is technically a member of the Carnivora order. Within the order, members are further classified according to foot structure. As such, the stocky, muscular but agile raccoon, along with the bear and man, is described as plantigrade, meaning that it walks on the sole, or plantar side, of its feet. This is in contrast to dogs and cats, which are digitgrade, walking on their toes, and still further removed from seals, sea lions and walruses, which are pinniped, using fins.

As is so often the interrelationship between form and function, there is a good case to be made that much of the raccoon’s adaptability and characteristic behavior — notably, its ability to exploit its niche — is related to the unique structure of their extremities. For example, their thumbs — which although not opposable, are adept and quite functional enough to allow the species to open latches — twist off lids and open containers. They also allow raccoons to “wash or, perhaps more accurately, inspect a potential meal with their highly tactile, discerning paws.”

In terms of survival, this may be an important precaution for a creature that will eat almost anything it can secure. Indeed, the raccoon regularly eats from all food groups: whether vertebrae or invertebrae; marine, freshwater or land-based. This includes garbage and compost; grubs, snails, worms, frogs, turtles and shellfish; rabbits, waterfowl and other ground-nesting birds (chicks, eggs); backyard garden fruits and vegetables, as well as wild seeds, berries, nuts.

Given such wide-ranging foraging habits, the only thing the inquisitive raccoon is known not to seek out is dry, arid environments. As such, the Upper Newport Bay, with its mudflats, riparian and upland areas — as well as its rich species diversity — is an ideal habitat for this mammal. Still, it is not a regular occurrence to see a raccoon or a group or raccoons around the bay. Like so many of Upper Newport Bay’s species, the raccoon prefers to operate under the cover of darkness, or at least dusk, and tends to be solitary.

Mating usually occurs between February and March. Young are generally born in April or May although this can vary by a month or more. Litters range from three to six, producing young that are initially blind but furried. In terms of coloring, raccoon are usually gray with black and white markings. Family groups stay together for up to a year although they typically vacate the original den within six to eight weeks. The young usually become fully independent when displaced by the arrival of a new litter.

The California Department of Fish and Game prohibits relocation of live raccoons and other wild life without its written permission. Raccoons are known to carry disease, such as rabies and distemper, as well as parasites. Handling wild raccoons, even when young, is best left to professional animal control personnel or wildlife managers.

For further reading, see www.loomcom.com/raccoons/info/ bibliography.html.

— Rosemary Flynn contributed to this article.