Do mom and dad raccoons stay together

Raccoons are strange animals. They are not like animal groups that we are used to, like dogs and cats and other familial animals. Raccoons are not familiar at all. Like black and brown squirrels they tend to kill each other. They are hyper-aggressive and have a very strange mating ritual. Raccoons are not friendly animals, if you see one leave the area. If one is following you, run. If you see a raccoon rolling around, wobbling or walking in circles call the humane society to pick it up because it has rabies. If a raccoon is constantly visiting your property then find what it’s after and get rid of it. This may be a leaky hose they drink from, a birdbath or food left outside. Dog food, open garbage cans and garbage stored in bags. The smell of compost attracts them and they love a property with some mess as it gives them plenty of places to hide. If you have a raccoon that wanders your property a lot there is a good chance it is living there. They can live in hollow logs and other areas like wild animals but what they want is to get into your attic or under your deck. They can burrow under sheds, under concrete slabs and they will defecate, rip apart your garden and your trash and cause endless issues like raccoon feces. The danger of their feces is due to their habit of eating long dead carcasses left by other animals, they are carry-on feeders. This results in their gut being filled with something called a raccoon roundworm. This parasite does not harm them but can kill any other animal, including humans in a matter of days. The parasite is incurable in even the earliest of stages and cannot be treated in any real way. The symptoms start with sores, roundworms will nest in your skin and organs and when they get to the brain they will begin nesting in that as well. Every organ includes the eyes which are the only thing that can be partially treated with lasers. Otherwise, a bought of the round worm will end in a coma, brain death and destruction of the nervous system. Avoid it at all cost and if you find it on your property and you have pets or children take them to emergency right away.

The life cycle of the raccoon is not complex, but it is very frightening. The raccoon female will find a place to nest, often as described above in a human abode. They will then bring a male mate in and mate with them. This is where things get weird. The female will then violently chase the male out with biting and scratching. The male will vacate in a hurry and the female will collect food for her gestation which can be as long as 70 days. When the young are born they are blind and immobile. This puts them in great danger as when the male raccoon leaves the female den his singular purpose is to find other babies of other male raccoons and kill them. This is how they handle survivability. Kill the other so yours has more access to food. It is dark and scary but it’s how many species live. The female has to take care of the young for up to nine weeks after they are born and even then they do not often leave for several weeks after. If you have a raccoon in your attic or under your deck during the baby season (from March to September often happening earlier with global warming) then you can be sure that once that raccoon mother gives birth getting them out will be harder, more expensive and will take much longer. You are fighting for your home, they are fighting for their children’s lives.

Raccoons are wildly independent creatures. With their impressive foraging and climbing skills, there is little need to rely on one another for survival. With that in mind, what exactly does the early life of a raccoon look like? At Skedaddle, we hope that understanding the stages baby raccoons go through from birth to full maturity will also help us understand when it’s important to leave them be, and when to call a professional for help.

When are baby raccoons born?

Most people believe baby raccoons are only born in early spring, but this is not usually the case. In our 30 years of wildlife experience, we’ve seen newborns anywhere from late February, and in some cases, all the way into mid July. Newborns are born with a pinkish-grey hue to their skin, light grey, sparse fur, and a faint mask on their faces.

The newborn stage lasts around 2-3 weeks. During this time, raccoons are not able to open their eyes or walk, meaning they are 100% dependent on their mother's care. This is why it’s so important not to trap and relocate adult raccoons as you could inadvertently cause a litter of babies to be orphaned. 

While they are not able to do much, newborn raccoons are able to make quite a lot of noise. Newborn raccoons will often chirp, whine, and mew for their mother while she is out foraging for food. Since raccoons are nocturnal, these noises are also often heard at night, and can easily be confused with chirping noises made by birds.

When do baby raccoons start to grow up?

At the 3 week mark, the babies begin opening their eyes for the first time. For the next few weeks, the babies are still immobile, but are able to shuffle around and physically see their surroundings, including their mother and each other. This is also when their fur begins to grow thicker, and their distinctive masks and striped tails begin to show.

Around 6 weeks after birth, the babies will begin walking. At this time, the mother raccoon will take her babies walking around short distances away from the den, slowly building up to longer journeys, and eventually climbing. For the first few climbing journeys, a mother will stay very close-by to protect her young in the event of a fall.

Baby raccoons are considered weaned from the nest around 2-3 months after birth, meaning they are able to fully survive on their own without the help of their mother. However, raccoon families have been found to stay together for up to a year before the babies move on and separate from their litter.

What should I do if I find a baby raccoon?

Raccoon mothers are tremendously protective of their young. We’ve seen mothers go to extreme lengths, ripping at siding and shingles, and even damaging structural elements of a home if they are locked away from their babies. When removing raccoons from an attic, garage or shed it’s important to ensure that the mother and babies are kept together. 

Just because a baby is found out in the wild does not necessarily mean it has been abandoned. If it appears healthy with no visible signs of injury, it’s mother is likely closeby and will return to retrieve it. Keep your distance, and keep an eye on the baby. Raccoons are nocturnal creatures, so we usually recommend waiting until one night has passed to allow the mother the chance to retrieve her baby during her waking hours.

If the baby appears injured, malnourished, or harmed in any way, please call your local humane society or wildlife rehab center and describe the situation to them. Only a professional should be handling wildlife, to minimize your risk of contracting diseases or causing injury to yourself or the animals.

Mother raccoons are best suited to be taking care of their young, so if there is any possibility of reuniting the baby with their mother, that is always the most preferable option. It’s a beautiful thing to encounter young wildlife, and by educating ourselves on their habits and life cycles, we are able to respect and appreciate wildlife from a safe, healthy distance.

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