Raccoons A Natural History

by Zeveloff, Samuel I.

• ISBN13: 9781588340337
• ISBN10: 1588340333
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-02-17
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books

Summary

The word raccoon is drawn from the Native American Algonquian language. Their termarakunroughly translates to "he who scratches with his hands." Anyone who has found a raccoon rummaging around in a once securely closed trash container can attest to how skillful raccoons are with their front paws. In fact, they have four times as many sensory receptors in their forepaw skin as they do in their hindpaws, a ratio similar to that of human hands and feet. Samuel Zeveloff explores this trait and much more in his accessible natural history of raccoons. Written with the general reader in mind,Raccoonspresents detailed information on raccoon evolution, physical characteristics, social behavior, habitats, food habits, reproduction, and conservation, as well as their relationship with humans and many other topics. The section on distribution and subspecies focuses on the raccoon's current range expansion, and the material on their cultural significance demonstrates this mammal's unique status in different North American cultures.

Author Biography

Dr. Samuel I. Zeveloff is a professor of zoology at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. He is the author of the book Mammals of the Intermountain West (University of Utah Press, 1988) and the senior editor of two other volumes on wilderness issues. He received a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Wyoming.

Table of Contents

Preface	v
Acknowledgments	vii
Introducing the Masked Bandit	1	(8)
Raccoon Origins	9	(18)
Today's Raccoon Family	27	(30)
Form and Function	57	(18)
Distribution and Subspecies	75	(16)
Living Arrangements	91	(20)
Mortality and Disease	111	(10)
Reproduction and Development	121	(14)
Social Organization	135	(10)
Management	145	(20)
Raccoons and Humans	165	(12)
Appendix: List of Scientific Names	177	(4)
References	181	(15)
Index	196