Minnesota Seasons - Common Raccoon

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Description

Size

Total length: 29¾″ to 37″

Tail: 9″ to 12″

Sign

Similar Species

Habitat

Deciduous forests, prairies, agricultural areas

Ecology

Behavior

Lifespan

5 to 16 years

Life Cycle

Food

Distribution
		Sources 7, 24, 29, 30. Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 12/2/2025). Timm, R. M. 1975. Distribution, natural history, and parasites of mammals of Cook County, Minnesota. Occasional Papers, Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota 14:1–56. Hazard, Evan B. 1982. The Mammals of Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 280 pp. The counties in light green lack modern records but have historic county or township specimens or records.
12/2/2025




Occurrence
Common

Taxonomy

Class

Mammalia (Mammals)

Subclass

Theria

Infraclass

Placentalia (Placental Mammals)

Magnorder

Boreoeutheria

Superorder

Laurasiatheria (Ungulates, Carnivorans, and Allies)

Order

Carnivora (Carnivorans)

Suborder

Caniformia (Dog-like Carnivores)

Infraorder

Arctoidea

Parvorder

Mustelida

Family

Procyonidae (Raccoons, Coatis, and Allies)

Genus

Procyon (Raccoons)

Subordinate Taxa

Baja California raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. grinnelli)

California raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. psora)

desert raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. pallidus)

eastern raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. lotor)

Florida raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. elucus)

Hernandez raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. hernandezii)

Isthmian raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. pumilus)

Matecumbe Key raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. inesperatus)

Mexican raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. mexicana)

Mississippi Delta raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. megalodous)

Pacific raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. pacificus)

Saint Simon Island raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. litoreus)

Snake River Valley raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. excelsus)

Texas raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. fuscipes)

Vancouver raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. vancouverensis)

The following subspecies have been synonymized with California raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. psora).

southwestern raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. californicus)

The following subspecies have been synonymized with eastern raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. lotor).

Alamaba raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. varius)

Bahamian raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. maynardi)

Barbados raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. gloveralleni)

Guadeloupe raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. minor)

Key Vaca raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. auspicatus)

Key West raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. incautus)

Upper Mississippi Valley raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. hirtus)

The following subspecies have been synonymized with Florida raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. elucus)

Ten Thousand Islands raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. marinus)

The following subspecies have been synonymized with Mexican raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. mexicana).

Campeche raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. shufeldti)

Costa Rican raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. crassidens)

Dickey’s raccoon (Procyon lotor ssp. dickeyi)

Synonyms

Procyon gloveralleni

Procyon lotor ssp. flavidus

Procyon lotor ssp. gloveralleni

Procyon lotor ssp. maynardi

Procyon lotor ssp. varius

Procyon maynardi

Procyon minor

Procyon nanus

Procyon priscus

Procyon simus

Ursus lotor

Common Names

common raccoon

northern raccoon

raccoon

Visitor Photos

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Gerry Garcia

Norm & Peg Dibble

		May 2018 Raccoon in broad daylight eating cracked corn.
Last night after getting two inches of rain and a little hail here in Maple Grove, this (possibly young) Raccoon showed up just off the cement patio enjoying some of the peanuts that we always throw out there for birds and squirrels. He’s probably been coming every evening. It’s just so surprising that they show up in broad daylight. This was 7:45pm. I called Norm to bring the camera upstairs to photograph him. He also recorded him. They are quite cute pawing at the grass. Norm opened the patio door because it was full of fresh raindrops. So the picture is quite crisp. Its fur is still a little wet from the rain. He even talked to this one who didn’t seem to care.

Dan W. Andree

A young raccoon I encountered on a trail through my brothers woods in rural Norman Co. Mn.

Christa Rittberg

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Camera

Slideshows

Raccoons (Procyon lotor)
Tania Simpson

Raccoon
Gerald (Wayne) Prout

slideshow

Visitor Videos

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Norm & Peg Dibble

VID_20190718_214447153.mp4
Published on Jul 18, 2019

About

Gerry Garcia

northern raccoon 01
Published on Jul 17, 2019

About

Visitor Sightings

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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.

Norm & Peg Dibble
7/15/2019

Location: Maple Grove, MN

Last night after getting two inches of rain and a little hail here in Maple Grove, this (possibly young) Raccoon showed up just off the cement patio enjoying some of the peanuts that we always throw out there for birds and squirrels. He’s probably been coming every evening. It’s just so surprising that they show up in broad daylight. This was 7:45pm. I called Norm to bring the camera upstairs to photograph him. He also recorded him. They are quite cute pawing at the grass. Norm opened the patio door because it was full of fresh raindrops. So the picture is quite crisp. Its fur is still a little wet from the rain. He even talked to this one who didn’t seem to care.

Gerry Garcia
7/16/2019