Raccoons are highly adaptable omnivores, recognized by their masked faces and ringed tails. Their opportunistic feeding behaviors allow them to consume a broad spectrum of food items and thrive in diverse environments.
The Wild Raccoon’s Natural Diet
In their natural habitats, such as forests, wetlands, and rural areas, raccoons are primarily foragers. Their diet includes a wide array of plant-based materials, reflecting seasonal availability. Common plant foods consist of wild fruits like berries and grapes, nuts such as acorns and walnuts, seeds, corn, other grains, and accessible garden vegetables.
Beyond plant matter, a significant portion of a wild raccoon’s diet is animal-based, obtained through active hunting and scavenging. This includes insects like beetles, grubs, and crickets. Aquatic invertebrates like crayfish and mollusks are also frequently consumed, especially in wetland environments. Raccoons also prey on fish, frogs, bird eggs, and small rodents. They are not averse to consuming carrion, further highlighting their opportunistic nature.
Adapting to Urban Environments
Raccoons exhibit remarkable flexibility in their dietary habits, especially when they inhabit urban and suburban areas. Their innate opportunism drives them to exploit readily available human-provided food sources. This adaptation allows them to thrive in environments far removed from their traditional wild foraging grounds.
In urban settings, raccoons frequently scavenge through garbage, consuming food scraps from trash cans and dumpsters. They commonly access pet food left outdoors. Gardens provide an additional bounty, with raccoons readily eating cultivated fruits and vegetables. Bird seed and suet from feeders also become part of their expanded diet.
These animals demonstrate considerable problem-solving skills to access such food items. Their dexterity allows them to open latches on bins or climb structures to reach bird feeders. This shift in diet underscores their impressive adaptability and ability to integrate into human-dominated landscapes.
What Not to Feed Raccoons
Intentionally feeding raccoons can lead to several negative outcomes for both the animals and human communities. Many human foods are detrimental to raccoon health. Processed foods, sugary items, chocolate, caffeine, dairy products, and anything high in salt or fat can cause digestive issues, obesity, and severe nutritional deficiencies.
Providing food can also lead to raccoons becoming dependent on humans, diminishing their natural foraging instincts. This dependency can cause them to lose their natural wariness, potentially leading to aggression if food is not provided. Furthermore, congregating raccoons at feeding sites increases the risk of disease transmission. Responsible practices, such as securing trash cans and avoiding leaving pet food outdoors, are important steps to prevent unintended feeding.