{"id":3234,"date":"2022-07-13T12:38:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T19:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?p=3234"},"modified":"2025-07-13T12:57:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T19:57:35","slug":"meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Raccoon: The Trash Panda, Nature\u2019s Clever Masked Bandit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8589163927e61665e4bf026d885ed881\">With their distinctive black &#8220;masks,&#8221; dexterous paws, and curious nature, <strong>raccoons<\/strong> have earned a reputation as clever, mischievous creatures. Whether they\u2019re raiding your garbage can or washing food in a stream, these adaptable mammals have carved out a niche for themselves in both wild and urban environments.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take a closer look at these nighttime adventurers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is a Raccoon?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Raccoons (<em>Procyon lotor<\/em>) are medium-sized mammals native to <strong>North America<\/strong>, although they\u2019ve spread to parts of Europe and Japan. They belong to the <strong>Procyonidae<\/strong> family, which also includes animals like coatis and kinkajous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Raccoon Stats:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Length:<\/strong> 2\u20133 feet (including tail)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weight:<\/strong> 10\u201330 pounds<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lifespan in the wild:<\/strong> 2\u20133 years (up to 20 in captivity)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Diet:<\/strong> Omnivore<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Habitat:<\/strong> Forests, wetlands, suburbs, and cities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Smart and Sneaky<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Raccoons are known for their <strong>intelligence<\/strong>\u2014studies have shown they can remember solutions to tasks for years. Their front paws are extremely sensitive and capable, almost like human hands. They can unlatch cages, open jars, unzip tents, and even solve puzzles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This adaptability is a big reason raccoons thrive in urban areas. To them, a garbage bin is just another buffet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nocturnal by Nature<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Raccoons are <strong>nocturnal<\/strong>, meaning they\u2019re most active at night. During the day, they rest in dens made in hollow trees, abandoned buildings, attics, or burrows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At night, they forage for food\u2014and they\u2019re not picky eaters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Do Raccoons Eat?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty much anything. Raccoons are <strong>opportunistic omnivores<\/strong> and eat:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fruits and berries<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Insects and worms<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Frogs, eggs, and small animals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Crayfish and shellfish<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pet food, trash, compost scraps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The urban raccoon diet may include pizza crusts, sandwich wrappers, and anything else they can get their paws on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do They Really Wash Their Food?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>That famous \u201cwashing\u201d behavior has a myth behind it. Raccoons don\u2019t actually clean their food\u2014scientists believe the behavior stems from their highly sensitive forepaws. Wetting their paws may help them better feel and manipulate objects. In captivity, with access to water, this can look like washing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Raising Raccoon Kits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Raccoon mating season happens in late winter to early spring. Mothers give birth to <strong>2\u20135 babies (kits)<\/strong> in a secure den and care for them for several months. During this time, they teach them how to forage and climb. Kits may stay with their mothers through the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Urban Wildlife Champions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Raccoons have flourished in human-dominated environments. They\u2019re often spotted in neighborhoods, parks, and even inside homes or garages. Their ability to adapt and solve problems makes them one of the most successful urban mammals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But their boldness can also bring them into conflict with humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Should You Be Worried?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Raccoons are wild animals and can carry diseases like <strong>rabies<\/strong> or <strong>raccoon roundworm<\/strong>. They should <strong>never be approached, fed, or kept as pets<\/strong>. If one is acting strangely or gets into your attic, contact a local wildlife control expert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Raccoons Around the World<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Although native to North America, raccoons have been introduced to parts of Europe and Japan, where they are sometimes considered invasive. In their new habitats, they can outcompete native species and impact local ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Clever, curious, and undeniably charismatic, raccoons are a testament to adaptability. Whether in the forest or the suburbs, they continue to surprise us with their resourcefulness and charm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just make sure your garbage can lid is tight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2190403c616bc2cfa0c12edb8b3a9121\">Want to learn more about raccoon relatives like <a href=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/faq-what-is-a-coati-or-is-it-coatimundi\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3213\">coatis<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-kinkajou\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1943\">kinkajous<\/a>? Check out our other wildlife profiles!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More photos below \u2193<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2571651847880215\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<!-- banner ad -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2571651847880215\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"7178535257\"\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:65.32569%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3235\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1245\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Pixabay on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/grey-short-coat-animal-laying-on-grey-wooden-panel-54602\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;grey short coat animal laying on grey wooden panel&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Pixabay on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/grey-short-coat-animal-laying-on-grey-wooden-panel-54602\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602-300x199.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602-1024x678.jpeg\" data-attachment-id=\"3235\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1245\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Pixabay on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/grey-short-coat-animal-laying-on-grey-wooden-panel-54602\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;grey short coat animal laying on grey wooden panel&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Pixabay on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/grey-short-coat-animal-laying-on-grey-wooden-panel-54602\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602-300x199.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602-1024x678.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 1 of 10 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1880&#038;ssl=1 1880w\" alt=\"grey short coat animal laying on grey wooden panel\" data-height=\"1245\" data-id=\"3235\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3235\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602.jpeg\" data-width=\"1880\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:34.67431%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3236\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-7465116\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7465116.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1040,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by David Selbert on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/curious-raccoon-hunting-in-forest-7465116\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;curious raccoon hunting in forest&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-7465116\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by David Selbert on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/curious-raccoon-hunting-in-forest-7465116\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7465116-240x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7465116-819x1024.jpeg\" data-attachment-id=\"3236\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-7465116\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7465116.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1040,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by David Selbert on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/curious-raccoon-hunting-in-forest-7465116\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;curious raccoon hunting in forest&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-7465116\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by David Selbert on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/curious-raccoon-hunting-in-forest-7465116\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7465116-240x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7465116-819x1024.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 2 of 10 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7465116.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7465116.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7465116.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1040&#038;ssl=1 1040w\" alt=\"curious raccoon hunting in forest\" data-height=\"1300\" data-id=\"3236\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3236\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7465116.jpeg\" data-width=\"1040\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7465116.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:66.62726%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3237\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-7516689\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1253\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by David Selbert on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/funny-wild-raccoon-exploring-countryside-7516689\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;funny wild raccoon exploring countryside&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-7516689\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by David Selbert on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/funny-wild-raccoon-exploring-countryside-7516689\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689-300x200.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689-1024x682.jpeg\" data-attachment-id=\"3237\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-7516689\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1253\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by David Selbert on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/funny-wild-raccoon-exploring-countryside-7516689\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;funny wild raccoon exploring countryside&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-7516689\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by David Selbert on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/funny-wild-raccoon-exploring-countryside-7516689\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689-300x200.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689-1024x682.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 3 of 10 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1880&#038;ssl=1 1880w\" alt=\"funny wild raccoon exploring countryside\" data-height=\"1253\" data-id=\"3237\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3237\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689.jpeg\" data-width=\"1880\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-7516689.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:33.37274%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3238\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-32946924\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-32946924.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"975,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Haberdoedas Photography on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-raccoon-in-natural-habitat-32946924\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;close up of raccoon in natural habitat&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-32946924\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Haberdoedas Photography on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-raccoon-in-natural-habitat-32946924\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-32946924-225x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-32946924-768x1024.jpeg\" data-attachment-id=\"3238\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-32946924\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-32946924.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"975,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Haberdoedas Photography on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-raccoon-in-natural-habitat-32946924\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;close up of raccoon in natural habitat&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-32946924\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Haberdoedas Photography on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-raccoon-in-natural-habitat-32946924\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-32946924-225x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-32946924-768x1024.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 4 of 10 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-32946924.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-32946924.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-32946924.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=975&#038;ssl=1 975w\" alt=\"close up of raccoon in natural habitat\" data-height=\"1300\" data-id=\"3238\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3238\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-32946924.jpeg\" data-width=\"975\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-32946924.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:31.58890%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3239\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-19745509\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-19745509.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"867,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Volker Thimm on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-a-raccoon-19745509\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;close up of a raccoon&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-19745509\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Volker Thimm on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-a-raccoon-19745509\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-19745509-200x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-19745509-683x1024.jpeg\" data-attachment-id=\"3239\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-19745509\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-19745509.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"867,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Volker Thimm on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-a-raccoon-19745509\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;close up of a raccoon&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-19745509\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Volker Thimm on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-a-raccoon-19745509\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-19745509-200x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-19745509-683x1024.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 5 of 10 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-19745509.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-19745509.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=867&#038;ssl=1 867w\" alt=\"close up of a raccoon\" data-height=\"1300\" data-id=\"3239\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3239\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-19745509.jpeg\" data-width=\"867\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-19745509.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:37.58133%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3240\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-2397434\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1089\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by lil artsy on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/adorable-raccoon-standing-near-puddle-in-countryside-2397434\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;adorable raccoon standing near puddle in countryside&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-2397434\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by lil artsy on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/adorable-raccoon-standing-near-puddle-in-countryside-2397434\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434-300x174.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434-1024x593.jpeg\" data-attachment-id=\"3240\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-2397434\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1089\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by lil artsy on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/adorable-raccoon-standing-near-puddle-in-countryside-2397434\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;adorable raccoon standing near puddle in countryside&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-2397434\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by lil artsy on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/adorable-raccoon-standing-near-puddle-in-countryside-2397434\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434-300x174.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434-1024x593.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 6 of 10 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1880&#038;ssl=1 1880w\" alt=\"adorable raccoon standing near puddle in countryside\" data-height=\"1089\" data-id=\"3240\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3240\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434.jpeg\" data-width=\"1880\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2397434.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3241\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-5873489\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1253\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Anna Hinckel on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/a-raccoon-on-the-tree-branch-5873489\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;a raccoon on the tree branch&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-5873489\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Anna Hinckel on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/a-raccoon-on-the-tree-branch-5873489\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489-300x200.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489-1024x682.jpeg\" data-attachment-id=\"3241\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-5873489\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1253\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Anna Hinckel on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/a-raccoon-on-the-tree-branch-5873489\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;a raccoon on the tree branch&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-5873489\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Anna Hinckel on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/a-raccoon-on-the-tree-branch-5873489\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489-300x200.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489-1024x682.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 7 of 10 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1880&#038;ssl=1 1880w\" alt=\"a raccoon on the tree branch\" data-height=\"1253\" data-id=\"3241\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3241\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489.jpeg\" data-width=\"1880\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-5873489.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:30.82978%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3242\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-31955723\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955723.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"846,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Chris F on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-a-curious-raccoon-in-greenery-31955723\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;close up of a curious raccoon in greenery&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-31955723\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Chris F on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-a-curious-raccoon-in-greenery-31955723\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955723-195x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955723-666x1024.jpeg\" data-attachment-id=\"3242\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-31955723\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955723.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"846,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Chris F on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-a-curious-raccoon-in-greenery-31955723\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;close up of a curious raccoon in greenery&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-31955723\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Chris F on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-a-curious-raccoon-in-greenery-31955723\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955723-195x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955723-666x1024.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 8 of 10 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955723.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955723.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=846&#038;ssl=1 846w\" alt=\"close up of a curious raccoon in greenery\" data-height=\"1300\" data-id=\"3242\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3242\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955723.jpeg\" data-width=\"846\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955723.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:35.56293%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3243\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-31955727\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955727.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"868,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Chris F on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-a-raccoon-in-lush-greenery-31955727\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;close up of a raccoon in lush greenery&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-31955727\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Chris F on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-a-raccoon-in-lush-greenery-31955727\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955727-200x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955727-684x1024.jpeg\" data-attachment-id=\"3243\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-31955727\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955727.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"868,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Chris F on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-a-raccoon-in-lush-greenery-31955727\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;close up of a raccoon in lush greenery&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-31955727\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Chris F on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-of-a-raccoon-in-lush-greenery-31955727\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955727-200x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955727-684x1024.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 9 of 10 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955727.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955727.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=868&#038;ssl=1 868w\" alt=\"close up of a raccoon in lush greenery\" data-height=\"1300\" data-id=\"3243\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3243\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955727.jpeg\" data-width=\"868\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31955727.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:64.43707%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3244\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-17019452\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1575,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by David Kanigan on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/raccoon-on-riverbank-17019452\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;raccoon on riverbank&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-17019452\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by David Kanigan on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/raccoon-on-riverbank-17019452\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452-300x248.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452-1024x845.jpeg\" data-attachment-id=\"3244\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-raccoon-natures-clever-masked-bandit\/pexels-photo-17019452\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1575,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by David Kanigan on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/raccoon-on-riverbank-17019452\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;raccoon on riverbank&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-17019452\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by David Kanigan on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/raccoon-on-riverbank-17019452\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452-300x248.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452-1024x845.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 10 of 10 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1575&#038;ssl=1 1575w\" alt=\"raccoon on riverbank\" data-height=\"1300\" data-id=\"3244\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3244\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452.jpeg\" data-width=\"1575\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-17019452.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong>&nbsp;This blog post is for edutainment purposes only and may not be entirely accurate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With their distinctive black &#8220;masks,&#8221; dexterous paws, and curious nature, raccoons have earned a reputation as clever, mischievous creatures. Whether they\u2019re raiding your garbage can or washing food in a&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3235,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[48,26,31],"class_list":["post-3234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animal-bytes","tag-american-animals","tag-animal-facts","tag-wild-animals"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/raccoon-bear-zoo-saeugentier-54602.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3234"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3248,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3234\/revisions\/3248"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}