Raccoons are highly adaptable mammals found across various environments, from dense forests to bustling urban centers. Their resourceful nature often leads to questions about their habits, particularly regarding whether they dig burrows for shelter. While known for their dexterity and ability to manipulate objects with their paws, raccoons do not typically dig burrows for the purpose of creating a permanent home.
Where Raccoons Really Den
Instead of digging their own burrows, raccoons are opportunistic in their choice of shelter, favoring existing structures that offer security and protection. In natural settings, they commonly den in hollow logs, tree cavities, and rock crevices. They also readily utilize abandoned burrows dug by other animals, such as groundhogs, badgers, or rabbits.
Raccoons are equally adept at finding shelter within human-made environments. Attics, chimneys, sheds, and barns are frequently chosen den sites, as are spaces beneath porches and decks. These locations provide warmth, dryness, and seclusion, ideal for resting during the day and raising their young. While they may occasionally dig temporary burrows in the ground for warmth during colder periods, these are not their preferred long-term residences.
Raccoon Digging for Food
The primary reason raccoons engage in digging is to forage for food, distinguishing this activity from burrow creation for shelter. They possess highly sensitive paws and a keen sense of smell, which they use to locate prey beneath the surface. Raccoons are omnivores, and their diet includes a variety of underground food sources.
They frequently dig in lawns, gardens, and soft soil in search of grubs, insects, and worms. This foraging can also target roots, fruits, and vegetables. The holes created during this process are typically shallow, often only a few inches deep and wide, and can leave behind noticeable disruptions or overturned sod.
Signs of Raccoon Presence
Identifying the presence of raccoons on a property often involves observing specific signs related to their denning and foraging activities.
- Disturbed garbage, such as overturned trash cans and scattered contents.
- Gardens and lawns showing signs of foraging, including uprooted plants, uneven turf, or small, shallow holes.
- Distinctive tracks resembling small human hands with five toes; front paw prints are typically wider, while hind prints are longer and may show an elongated heel.
- Tubular and dark droppings (scat), often containing undigested food like berries or seeds, frequently found in communal “latrine” sites.
- Nocturnal sounds like scratching, rustling, or thumping from attics or chimneys, along with vocalizations such as chattering, growling, purring, or hissing.