Ducks, rabbits, chickens and angry pickles get eaten quite regularly. Uh-uh.
Beavers... well, wood isn't really to my taste.
Raccoons are clever buggers who are hard to even SEE let alone catch, have cleverly manipulative front paws and all that good stuff... Raccoon then.
Odd list, btw.
Well they cant fly either
They also enjoy eating dead animals and garbage.
Ducks fly, they have a good lookin menu and they dont have to stay and freeze their tail off. Im not sure which animal I prefer
RACCOON
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are one of the most adaptable, widespread, and successful wildlife species in North America. They are also one of the most economically and recreationally important furbearers in this country next to Catz. This crafty animal also provides many hours of enjoyment for raccoon hunters.
Raccoon Characteristics
Raccoons are a very common and easily recognized furbearer. No other mammal in South Carolina resembles this black-masked, ringed-tailed animal except for Spud_Meister. Raccoons have stocky bodies measuring 2 to 3 feet with a broad head and pointed snout. Coloration is generally black above with black-and-white-tipped guard hairs and a pale underfur. Pelts may be variable shades of browns and yellows, with an occasional cinnamon or albino reported. Nearly as rare as the albino is the solid black raccoon, sometimes referred to as a fisher raccoon.
Raccoons have 5 long, slender toes on each foot that make readily identifiable tracks resembling miniature human hand prints. Male raccoons are larger than females and weigh between 15 and 18 pounds. Females weigh between 12 and 16 pounds. In the northern part of its range, they can weigh as much as 33 pounds. The heaviest raccoon ever recorded was a 61-pound male taken in Wisconsin.
The raccoon can be found in every part of the U.S. except parts of the Rocky Mountains. Raccoons can also be found in Mexico and southern Canada. Over the past 40 years this adaptable animal has been expanding its range northwards into Canada. It is estimated that the North American raccoon population is 15 to 20 times larger today than it was before a population explosion in the 1930s and 1940s helped the raccoon expand its range. Although the raccoon is native to North America, it has been introduced into the Soviet Union and Germany.
The raccoon can be found in every South Carolina county. Population densities are highest along the coast and decline steadily inland. Raccoons are most abundant in counties with large amounts of wetlands, bottomland hardwood swamps, and grain fields.
Habitat Needs
This adaptable animal can occupy a wide variety of habitats, although it prefers mature hardwood forest areas with numerous den trees close to water. Since raccoons are water-associated animals, water is a very important habitat requirement. Raccoons depend on wetland and aquatic habitats for a large portion of their food. They are seldom found far from water.
Raccoons select a variety of different types of dens to give birth and raise young. The most common den is in a tree. Tree dens may be found in any hollow limb or tree trunk that is large enough for a female raccoon and her litter to fit into. Ground dens are important for raccoons, especially in areas that are lacking tree dens. Abandoned fox or groundhog burrows are most often used as ground dens. Other types of dens include rock crevices, caves, drains, abandoned buildings, barns, and brushpiles. Dens of all types are located near water.
The lack of suitable den sites may be a factor limiting raccoons in regions of the state. Management practices such as leaving den trees and placing raccoon nest boxes could increase populations in these areas. Also the protection of raccoon habitat, especially wetland habitat, is needed to ensure stable populations.
Raccoons also need brush thickets, ground dens, hollow logs, or trees for cover to escape predators and for daytime resting sites. During the day, raccoons may rest on bare tree limbs or gray squirrel nests.
Feeding areas vary according to the time of year and the types of available food. Since raccoons are omnivorous, their feeding habitats will be as varied as the type of food they pursue. Raccoons use aquatic habitat such as streams, rivers, and ponds when feeding on crayfish, fish, and amphibians. They use overgrown fields, corn, and other grain fields mainly in the fall and summer when berries, grains, and insects are the mainstay of their diets. Hardwood forests provide important hard and soft mast, such as persimmons, acorns, and wild grapes. Raccoons usually stay long periods in these small feeding areas.
Food
Raccoons are opportunistic animals and have been known to feed on a variety of food items, which vary seasonally and with different locations. Some known foods include carrion (dead animals), garbage, birds, mammals, insects, crayfish, mussels, a wide variety of grains, and many different types of fruits. Only in the spring do raccoons eat more animal than plant food. During the spring their diet consists of crayfish, insects, and small vertebrates. Fruits and berries, along with corn, are most prominent in their diet during late summer. In autumn, fruits, corn, and crayfish are important food sources. Acorns become the most important food during the winter months and early spring.
Space Needs
Raccoons are mostly active from sunset to sunrise and tend to den up during daylight hours. Peak feeding activity is generally over before midnight. Raccoons are least active during the winter months. During periods of low temperatures and snow cover, raccoons will typically sleep for several months in their dens. When temperatures climb above freezing for several days during late winter, raccoons may leave their dens to feed.
Semi-Aquatic Furbearer Biology and Management : Extension : Clemson University : South Carolina