Home Range of Procyon lotor in Itasca State Park, MN

Abstract

Procyon lotor, commonly known as raccoons, are native to North America. Raccoons are omnivorous and nocturnal. They prefer to live in wooded areas with hollow trees serving as nests. In the winter they do not hibernate but are able to go the whole winter without eating and can stay in their den for long periods of time. Raccoons can cover extensive distances when they travel and also are able to swim. Home range is the area used by an animal in the course of its usual movements, excluding migration. Raccoon home range varies by sex, age, and habitat. Females tend to have smaller ranges than males. Adults tend to have larger ranges than juveniles. If a habitat is abundant with resources the raccoon will have a smaller range compared to a raccoon with a resource poor habitat. The purpose of this study was to find the home range of five raccoons in Itasca State Park, MN. The raccoons were radio collared and tracked for ten days to obtain the home range data.