1. Raccoons are locksmiths!

Raccoons are renowned for their lock picking skills, and are able to remember the solutions to problems for years.

2. Raccoons Have a Super Sense

Compared with most mammals, raccoons have four to five times more sensory cells in their paws, and 75% of the part of their brain that processes sensory signals is devoted to touch.

"They can get an image of what an object is without even looking at it, so the raccoons actually see with their hands,".

3. A baby raccoon is referred to as a “kit”

A baby raccoon or a kit is born blind and deaf. After around two months of pregnancy, a female raccoon gives birth to a litter of about 1-7 kits. Female raccoons are called sows, while males are called boars.

4. Raccoons take their name after their hands

Compared to other animals, raccoon hands are almost human-like. These well-developed front paws are what gave raccoons their common name in English. The name “raccoon” originates from the word “aroughcun”, a Powhatan term that means “one who scratches with its hands”.

5. Male raccoons have bones in their penises

Male raccoons, called boars, are typically larger than females. Among their distinct features is a penile bone referred to as the baculum”.

6. Raccoons can move at high speeds

Raccoons are scavengers and are consequently always on the move searching for their food. In addition to walking, these animals are fast runners as well. In fact, raccoons can run at speeds as fast as 15 miles per hour, not only on solid ground but also while climbing up and down trees, and if dropped from a height of 35 to 40 meters, they can still remain unharmed. In addition to running with agility, raccoons are also able to swim to escape from predators and catch prey to meet their dietary needs.

7. Raccoons do not have life-partners

Unlike wolves, beavers and other animals that mate for life, raccoons often have more than one mating partner. In fact, male raccoons attempt to mate with multiple females each season while female raccoons generally mate with one partner. Unlike other animals, male raccoons have nothing to do with raising their offspring and all of the responsibility falls on the mother as she raises her newborns alone.

8. As omnivores, raccoons eat vegetation and meat

The vegetation in their diet consists of cherries, apples, acorns, persimmons, berries, peaches, citrus fruits, plums, wild grapes, figs, watermelons, beech nuts, corn and walnuts. When it comes to meat, raccoons consume more invertebrates than vertebrates, according to the ADW. Some of the raccoon’s favourite animal treats are frogs, fish, crayfish, insects, rodents and bird eggs. When food is scarce, raccoons aren’t above scavenging human trash or eating roadkill.

9. They make nearly 50 sounds to communicate with each other and humans

They purr, growl, hiss, etc.

10. Their masks aren’t just for show

Thanks to the black markings that fall across their eyes, raccoons have been typecast as the conniving thief or trickster figure in stories for centuries. But their famous black masks do more than make them look like adorable outlaws—they also help them see clearly. The black fur works just like the black stickers athletes wear under their eyes: The dark colour absorbs incoming light, reducing glare that would otherwise bounce into their eyes and obstruct their vision. At night, when raccoons are most active, less peripheral light makes it easier for them to perceive contrast in the objects of their focus, which is essential for seeing in the dark.

11. A raccoon lived once in the white house

It's unusual for White House pets to start as Thanksgiving dinner, but that was the case with Rebecca, the raccoon that lived with Calvin Coolidge for part of his presidency. At the time, raccoon meat wasn't a terribly uncommon sight on dinner tables in America. But once he met the live critter, Coolidge decided he was more interested in adopting her than having her for supper. Rebecca soon became part of the family, receiving an engraved collar for Christmas, taking part in the annual Easter Egg roll, and frequently accompanying the president on walks around the White House grounds. Having a wild animal in the White House may sound absurd by today's standards, but considering Coolidge's pets at the time also included a bobcat, a goose, a donkey, two lion cubs, an antelope, and a wallaby, Rebecca fit right in.