The common belief that raccoons possess unusually clean mouths has persisted for generations, often portrayed in popular culture as a sign of their fastidious nature. This widespread claim suggests that the masked mammal is somehow more hygienic than other wildlife, possibly due to their tendency to dunk food in water. However, this notion is a misunderstanding of the animal’s biology and behavior. Raccoons are opportunistic omnivores whose lifestyle inherently exposes them to a host of pathogens, making their oral cavity far from pristine.
The Truth About Raccoon Oral Hygiene
The reality of a raccoon’s lifestyle directly contradicts the idea of a clean mouth, as their diet consists of nearly anything they can find. As successful omnivores, they consume a wide array of items, from nuts and berries to insects, small vertebrates, and carrion. This scavenging behavior frequently involves rummaging through human garbage, which exposes their mouths to bacteria and contaminants.
In urban environments, raccoons that frequently consume processed human foods often show signs of poor dental health, including broken teeth, gum disease, and cavities. The water sources they use for foraging and dousing their food are often the same areas they use as latrines, or communal defecation sites. This mixing of feeding and waste habits ensures their oral environment is routinely exposed to unsanitary conditions.
Major Disease Risks Associated with Raccoon Saliva and Bites
The most significant health threat transmitted through a raccoon’s saliva is the Rabies virus, a deadly pathogen that attacks the central nervous system. Raccoons are a major host species for the rabies strain found in the United States. The virus is transmitted when infected saliva enters a person’s body through a bite, scratch, or contact with open wounds or mucous membranes. Once symptoms of rabies manifest, the disease is almost universally fatal.
Beyond viral threats, a raccoon’s mouth and paws can facilitate the transmission of the parasite Baylisascaris procyonis, known as Raccoon Roundworm. Although the roundworm eggs are primarily shed in raccoon feces, the animal’s constant grooming and handling of contaminated objects means the eggs can easily be transferred to their mouths and fur. Human infection occurs through the oral ingestion of these microscopic eggs, often through contact with contaminated surfaces or soil.
If ingested, the parasite larvae can migrate throughout the human body, causing a severe condition called visceral and neural larval migrans. This migration can lead to serious neurological damage, blindness, or even death, particularly in young children who are more likely to put contaminated hands or objects into their mouths. Bacteria, such as Salmonella, can also be present in a raccoon’s mouth from consuming contaminated food, posing a risk of gastrointestinal illness.
Why the Misconception Exists
The myth of the clean-mouthed raccoon largely stems from a misinterpretation of their distinctive foraging behavior, often called “dousing.” When a raccoon handles food near water, it appears to be meticulously washing the item, a ritual that earned them their scientific name, Procyon lotor, where lotor translates to “washer.” This observation led early naturalists to assume the animal was performing a conscious act of hygiene.
The true purpose of this behavior is tactile rather than sanitary, leveraging the raccoon’s highly developed sense of touch. Raccoons have extremely sensitive nerve endings in their front paws. Water softens the protective layer of skin, significantly increasing the paws’ sensory acuity. By wetting their food, they enhance their ability to “feel” the item, gaining detailed information about its texture, shape, and edibility.