Raccoon Pictures: Too Cute!
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"Gimme all your tomatoes, and no one gets hurt."
I know what that means. Varmints. Backyard bandits. Smart, playful raccoons.
I hurry downstairs to say hello. Possibly with a garden hose, if they're after my veggies. I'm a soft touch, though, and they know it: I love raccoons.
Mama Raccoon noses her way up to the patio door and checks me out. I'm mindful of the fact that behind the cute and cuddly face, she is a wild animal. Mother raccoons are fierce. Also, some raccoons carry diseases.
But I'm fairly fluent in Raccoon body language, and this crew looks healthy, curious and watchful, not sickly or aggressive. I won't get too close, but I cannot resist playing nature photographer. (Although I need to learn how to use the red eye filter.)
Meet and Greet
Checking Out the Raccoon Family
Samhain isn't sure whether to be afraid or chase them off. She watches intently.
I send Sam up to her room for her safety, then open the door slowly. Say cheese, kids!
"Weren't you growing corn in this earlier? Where'd it go?"
Mama moves off to watch from the far side of the patio, which means she doesn't think me a threat. Obviously this is lesson time.
"Hey, could you open that tomato cage for me? There's this webbing stuff in the way."
"Or maybe I could get into the strawberry pot."
No, no, no. I growl and hiss, which is raccoon talk for "back off." Playtime's over, and anyway, it's not good to teach wild animals that humans are safe.
I stomp around and rescue my ripe tomatoes before the bandits figure out how to remove my makeshift possum proofing. The young raccoons climb a tree while Mama continues to monitor from the corner of the patio.
This one is making it difficult for me to pretend I am a scary human. Eventually, I shoo her off. Or rather, up.
Now it's time for *drumroll* Raccoon Math!
How many raccoons are there?
One Raccoon...
Two Raccoons...
Three Raccoons...
Four Raccoons...
Five Raccoons...
Wait, where's Mom?
"I'm right here, cubs."
![]("http://www.istad.org/lenses/pictures-of-raccoons/mama-raccoon.jpg"")
Mama Raccoon decides it's time to go and chitters at them.
Sounds of Raccoons on My Patio
Too dark to see much until the end, unfortunately
Proper Raccoon Etiquette
Those pictures were taken with zoom, but still, I was too close, and I should've chased them off immediately.
Below is a good webpage on raccoons and raccoon safety.
Cute Raccoon Photo Gifts on Zazzle.com
(Other People's Raccoon Photos)
Cubs or Kits?
Q: Why are you calling baby raccoons "cubs"? Shouldn't it be "kits"?
A: "Kit" is perhaps more common, but "cub" is also used for young raccoons.
I've got "kit" fixed in my head as a baby fox to the point that it sounds odd to me to use it for a baby raccoon. However, I advise you to use "kit" for school papers, to avoid the teacher's red ink!
More Critters
There are very few animals that don't fascinate me
by Greekgeek
Storyteller, former Latin teacher, student of mythology and the ancient world: I've worn many hats, but always I've dabbled in computers and the web.
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Planet Earth: BBC Series
(also available in Blu-Ray)
Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series
Amazon Price: $19.89 (as of 06/03/2012)
I grew up watching nature specials with British naturalist David Attenborough, and this is his best to date, supplementing a lifetime of experience with high quality video. His mannerisms are quirky, but he sneaks in an amazing amount of information while distracting you with fascinating footage.
Raccoon Finger Puppet
Cute and playful
Folkmanis Mini Raccoon 5in Finger Puppet
Amazon Price: $4.00 (as of 06/03/2012)
Sure, there's the Webkinz raccoon, but have you seen this mini raccoon puppet? Fun to tuck in a purse and bring out to keep small children amused. There's a whole set of these good-quality wildlife puppets for storytelling and creative play.
