WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY
Raccoons are one of most recognizable and perhaps the most adaptable tree-climbing species of wildlife found in Oakland County. These, mostly nocturnal, creatures are masters of urban survival. They’re equally successful near busy streets and in the attics of homes, as they are in the marshy wildlands and woodlands of parks. Their denning sites can be found in garages, sheds, residential chimneys, attics, vacant groundhog burrows, under patio decks, inside dry culverts and of course, within hollow trees, as nature intended. When a raccoon does find that perfect lofty oak, with a cavity for a shelter and large limbs for sunning, it is five-star living for Procyon lotor, the common raccoon.
When it comes to food, raccoons are not picky eaters. Wild food favorites include crayfish, eggs, frogs, bugs, grubs, earthworms, berries of every sort, baby rabbits, ducks, chickens, fish, ants, turtles, snakes and just about anything found in the garden, with sweet corn topping the list. In urban areas, raccoons are drawn to dumpsters and feast on our leftovers. It is safe to say that while a raccoon at Rose Oaks County Park is sitting under a willow tree crunching on a crayfish, another raccoon is crouched in a Ferndale alley with an old slice of pizza. It is their adaptability to habitat and food that give them the ability to not just survive, but to thrive in our midst.
Automobiles kill hundreds, if not thousands of raccoons every year. Predators of raccoons include domestic dogs, coyotes, foxes and even great horned owls. Although some humans try to feed these masked bandits, it is a very dangerous practice for both the raccoon and the human. A fed raccoon often ends up as a dead raccoon as it becomes bolder. Raccoons can also carry roundworm parasites that can be transmitted to humans. In rare cases, raccoons may be rabid. The best way to appreciate raccoons is by keeping them wild. Never try to feed them or adopt them as they go about their lives in the wilds and not so wilds of Oakland County.
Text by Jonathan Schechter, Nature Education Writer for Oakland County Parks. Schechterj@oakgov.com
Top photo by Jonathan Schechter, additional photos by Amanda Nimke Ballard
Visit https://www.oakgov.com/parks/ for information on all 13 Oakland County Parks.
[…] species of wildlife. Local connoisseurs of the abundant branch-bending fruit include wild turkeys, raccoons, white-footed mice, opossums, cedar waxwings, cardinals, sparrows, goldfinch, mallard ducks and […]
[…] rays on sunny patches of land and trails frequented by hikers. Antlered bucks are on the move. Raccoons raid the remains of sweet corn crops and red squirrels continue their endless harvest of tree nuts. […]
[…] meadow vole. As the earth warms, snakes, frogs and large insects join the menu. If crows, raccoons, or even a coyote gets too close, the male will vigorously defend the […]
[…] these nocturnal searches, as winter slowly wanes, skunks may encounter other critters of the night: raccoons, coyotes, fox, cats and dogs. If these creatures do not give the hormonal-driven skunk, with a […]
[…] these nocturnal searches, as winter slowly wanes, skunks may encounter other critters of the night: raccoons, coyotes, fox, cats and dogs. If these creatures do not give the hormonal-driven skunk, with a […]
[…] bats. Blue Jays loudly announce their presence and muddy tracks across the trail give evidence of raccoons and opossums. Early morning visitors may even spot a deer in this urban sanctuary. Although the […]
[…] to being persecuted by fearful sun-seeking humans, they are hunted by great blue herons, hawks, raccoons, snapping turtles, mink, opossums and skunks. And the newborns have it tough too. They are about […]
[…] encroaches on wetlands. The list of creatures that relish this amphibian is long and includes: raccoons, opossums, barred owls, great blue herons, snapping turtles, northern water snakes, bigger […]
[…] coyotes, red foxes, raccoons, skunks, rabbits, mice, opossums and Great Horned Owls. What do they all have in common? They are […]
[…] themselves upside down through the waters as they gulp algae and plankton. As darkness falls, raccoons, opossums and Barred owls hunt the edges looking for something to eat at the dawn of […]
[…] are eye-catching creatures. Hawks, raccoons, weasels, coyotes, foxes, feral cats, domestic cats, mink, great blue herons, and even big snakes […]
[…] young snakes are quickly consumed by a great variety of predators including bullfrogs, milk snakes, raccoons, opossums, snapping turtles, great blue herons, crows, hawks, squirrels, house cats, mink, coyotes, […]
[…] as if our lives are at risk by the very presence of wildlife. Negative comments about opossums, raccoons, deer, wild turkeys and the much maligned Eastern Coyote seem to spread like wildfire as […]
[…] raccoons are on the move from the most urban to the most rural areas of our county. Their distinctive paw […]
[…] weasels, mink, feral and domestic cats, and dogs. Baby rabbits in their nests are also preyed on by raccoons. Thousands more die each year under the wheels of autos. Rabbits have no real defensive skills, […]
[…] easy for Sandhills, even when food is abundant and excellent nesting habitat exists. Coyotes, raccoons and crows will try for the eggs and colts, but the adults will usually stand their ground and try […]
[…] surprising discoveries unfolded. One night’s action-packed footage confirmed what I suspected: raccoons will climb trees or lattice works to prey on baby squirrels. The camera captured this dramatic, yet […]
[…] egrets, green frogs, bullfrogs, northern water snakes, garter snakes, skunks, hawks, gulls, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, mink, otters, turtles, and humans that savor the flavor of frog […]