This time of year, as young raccoons — called kits — leave their dens to explore the world, these well-known critters can stir up trouble.
With their constant curiosity, nimble paws and indiscriminate appetites, they can startle people awake at night with raucous screams and snarls, squabbling over tasty finds.
Dubbed “trash pandas” in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie, raccoons are native to Minnesota and thrive in both urban and wooded areas throughout the state. They nap in trees during the day, but at night they lope through alleyways hunting take-out trash, scamper through yards seeking garden produce and waddle to waterways to snag crayfish and frogs.
While their bandit faces and ringed tails elevate their cuteness factor, their vocal chirps, purrs and primate-like ability to unlatch boxes and doors can also endear them to humans. President Calvin Coolidge was so enamored by a raccoon destined for his 1926 Thanksgiving table that he took it off the menu, adopted it as a pet in the White House, and named it Rebecca.
Raccoons appear to wash their front paws like people cleaning their hands before dinner, but the act of wetting them amplifies their tactile abilities and senses. Super-sensitive paws help them find and gather food in the dark. Their back paws also are highly adaptive, allowing them to rotate their feet to climb better. Minnesota’s most famous raccoon scaled a St. Paul skyscraper in 2018.
The black fur mask on their faces absorbs light and cuts down glare — much like the EyeBlack grease football players wear.
Minnesota homeowners who consider raccoons a nuisance can find tips for discouraging them on the DNR’s website.
Lisa Meyers McClintick has freelanced for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2001 and volunteers as a Minnesota Master Naturalist.
