Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Reader Question
Is there anywhere in particular in Radnor you could suggest that my friend and I look for raccoons? I thought I saw their tracks in the mud under the spillway bridge, but I wasn’t sure.
Answer
Let me tell you, I have gotten lucky on each of my (merely TWO) raccoon sightings at Radnor Lake. The first raccoon sighting, of which I have no photo, the critter was searching for crayfish and other food along the banks of Otter Creek, within sight of where Otter Creek Road goes over Otter Creek — right beside the West parking lot. I still make a habit of looking down the creek whenever I walk over it.
My second raccoon sighting, two nights ago, was also pure luck. I was hiking after the rainstorm and the raccoon happened to be hunting right beside the trail. The raccoon immediately went for the nearest tree and started climbing, though it was not doing so very quickly. They do not seem to be very fast animals, from what I have seen; they have tended to lumber along slowly, even after being seen, rather than run away.
I’d say the best chance of a raccoon sighting is after a rain and as near to dark as possible, since raccoons are mostly nocturnal. They are also rather secretive, so hiking when few others are there would help a lot. This last sighting of mine occurred when no one else was parked at the west lot.
If you do happen upon a raccoon at Nashville’s Radnor Lake, then you have a great chance of getting pictures; it will probably climb the nearest tree.
More About Northern Raccoons
The bandit-masked raccoon is a familiar sight just about everywhere, and they will eat just about anything. These ubiquitous mammals are found in forests, marshes, prairies, and even in cities — often being forcibly removed from fireplaces. Raccoons are highly adaptable, and they use their dexterous front paws and long fingers to find and feast on a wide variety of tasty (well, to them) fare.
In the natural world, raccoons snag many of their meals in the water. These nocturnal foragers use lightning-quick paws to grab crayfish, frogs, snails, minnows, and other aquatic creatures. On land, they pluck mice and insects from their hidey-holes and raid nests to snatch eggs.
Raccoons also eat fruits and plants—including those grown in human gardens and farms. They will even open garbage cans to dine on the contents.
These ring-tailed animals are equally opportunistic when it comes to choosing a nest or den. They may inhabit a tree hole, fallen log, or a house’s attic. Females have one to seven cubs in early summer; the young raccoons often spend the first two months or so of their lives high in a tree hole. When the cubs begin to explore on their own, mother and children move to the ground.
Raccoons in the northern parts of their range gorge themselves in spring and summer to store up body fat. They then spend much of the winter asleep in a den. There are six other species of raccoons, in addition to the familiar northern (North American) raccoon. Most other species live on tropical islands.
The Latin nickname, or scientific name, for the raccoon is Procyon Lotor. Lotor means “washer” and raccoon is Algonquin for arakun, meaning “he scratches with his hands”.
Complete Classification of the Raccoon
Animailia – Animal (I swear, ’tis true!)
Chordata – Central Nervous Spine
Vertbrata – Vertebrae
Mammalia – Mammal
Carinivora – Carnivore (actually, raccoons are omnivores)
Procyonidae – Family
Procyon – Raccoon
Lotor – Northern Raccoon
Too bad there is not a category for scavenger.
Go Deeper, Or Not
Raccoon Rage Raccoons are NOT rodents, BTW…
Upcoming Subjects
If you have any subjects you’d like to read more about, just ask. If it has some potential and is in line with the subject material of this blog, then I’ll probably follow through with your request.
Cairns: what the heck are they, and why do I see them almost everywhere I hike?
Trees: identifying the most common trees at Radnor Lake
Rat snakes: next time I catch one, I’ll go into detail about rat snakes…as of now, I STILL await my first snake capture of the year! How lame…
Bald eagles: why do they come and go at Radnor Lake, and why don’t they stay?
How Long Will It Take?
It’s rather entertaining to mention someone’s name on the web and then see how long it takes for them to find it — perhaps by Googling themselves or through word of mouth. How long will it take Mr. Tracy Smith, from Hilton Head Island, currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee, to learn that he is being mentioned on this web page? Why on earth did I start thinking about the old college (Lipscomb University in Nashville) gang tonight, specifically Tracy Smith?
Oh yeah, I know…I am listening to an absolutely fantastic Jethro Tull DVD called Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull. Tracy and I had a real affinity for acoustic Tull, and I thought of Tracy for the first time in ages as I listened to this ultra groovy DVD. When, if ever, will you read this, Tracy?
This DVD is loaded with all the great acoustic Tull songs, including Wond’ring Aloud which is rarely played live. The song that reminds me most of Tracy Smith is Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day; I picked it up at McKay Used Books and DVDs earlier this evening, by mistake; I intended to examine the DVD more closely, not take it to the counter. Oh, well!
No related posts.
July 7, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Thanks for the timely and valuable Raccoon Sighting Area information, Stephen! I’ll look for them this evening.