The Raccoon
With its ringed tail and bandit mask, the Raccoon is one of the most interesting and easily identifiable characters in the animal kingdom. This could explain its popularity as a cartoon mascot for everything from car rental companies to real estate developments. Scientifically, that famous mask is thought to reduce glare that may interfere with its nocturnal vision. (Although a more fun theory is that it conceals the little guy’s identity when he’s caught rifling through your garbage, elbows deep in banana peels and old bank statements.) Native to Central America and supposedly first mentioned in the records of a Christopher Columbus expedition, the Raccoon is known in Costa Rica as the Mapache, a word derived by Spanish colonists from the Aztec mapachitli, meaning “the one who takes everything in its hands.” And what amazing hands they are! They have a highly developed sense of touch that is heightened even further when they get wet, which is one reason raccoons are thought to “wash” their food before eating it. The five toes on their front paws can easily manipulate things like trash can lids, doorknobs, jars, and even corked bottles: really anything that peaks their curiosity or stands between them and a meal. The Raccoon’s preferred habitat is forested terrain close to water, where they can forage for fruits, nuts, insects, rodents, and eggs. But these clever animals are highly adaptable and survive well in even the most urban environments, where their characteristic hisses, whistles, growls and snarls can make them just another crazy neighbor.
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