Home > Animal Help Tips > Raccoons

Birthing: 1-7 young per litter. Usually 1 litter, March – June.
If the mother did not have babies during spring mating she may have a litter in the fall.

Eyes opened: 18-24 days

Weaning (beg-end): 6-16 weeks

Active: Nighttime; sometimes hunt for food or sun themselves in daytime Active year-round

Diet: Insects, rodents, fruit, garden crops, garbage

Raccoons

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) belongs to the carnivores grouping, a group that is composed of mammals which are primarily meat eaters, although many of them also eat berries, fruit, vegetables, eggs, acorns, beech and hickory nuts, grains, grasses, and bark, if nothing else is available. All carnivores have five toes and large canine teeth. The raccoon is omnivorous and the ratio of plant to animal food varies by season and what is available.

Raccoons FAQ’s

There’s a healthy-looking cub in my yard. Does it need to be rescued?

Unless there are indications the mother has been killed or trapped, babies should be left in the area where found so the mother can retrieve after dark. If necessary, move out of harm’s way, near where found, and leave alone. Do not handle. Call the Helpline if in doubt.

I have raccoons in my chimney (or attic). How do I get them out?

Raccoon mothers will move their babies from the chimneys and attics when the babies are 6-7 weeks old. Try to tolerate the raccoons until the mother can move them out. Then the chimney should be capped or the hole in the attic fixed, but only after it is certain that the raccoons have moved on. Do not try to smoke raccoons out of chimneys because the babies are always burned because they cannot get out of the chimney by themselves.

Animal Help Tips

More about raccoons

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A strange and unfamiliar sound was coming from the back sliding glass doors in the family room of a local suburban residence. It was late in the evening and the family cat had already been brought in for the night. The scratching of nails on the glass and random...

It Takes a Village To Rescue a Raccoon

We all know that raccoons are wicked smart. But sometimes they’re too smart for their own good. On August 8 th Jane Gailey received a call on the helpline from Cat Roberts in Fairfax. A raccoon, that frequently visits her neighborhood had gotten its head completely...

Raccoons — Facts and Fancies

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) belongs to the carnivores grouping, a group that is composed of mammals which are primarily meat eaters, although many of them also eat berries, fruit, vegetables, eggs, acorns, beech and hickory nuts, grains, grasses, and bark, if nothing else is available.

If you are not certain what to do, call the wildlife Helpline: (703) 440-0800.

If you live outside Northern Virginia please see the Resources Page for assistance.