Raccoons are able to survive in a variety of environments, they can live in forests, in urban and rural areas and they can even live in cities if they have to.
They eat whatever’s available in their surroundings. But what happens when there is no food available? Will raccoons perform cannibalism? Do raccoons eat raccoons? This article explores this topic.
Raccoons do not eat raccoons, these animals are not cannibalistic, they are opportunistic feeders, scavengers, and omnivores, thus they will usually always have some type of food available to them, even if this food is garbage or carrion
Table of Contents
Do raccoons eat raccoons?
Raccoons are able to eat a variety of foods, these animals are scavengers, they are omnivores and they are opportunistic feeders. As a result, they will eat almost anything.
When available, raccoons will eat clams, fruits, frogs, fish, vegetables, snakes, snails, birds, bird eggs, slugs, and insects to name a few, but raccoons will not eat other raccoons
Although raccoon meat would be a good source of protein for a raccoon, raccoons don’t eat each other. These animals are not cannibalistic, they will not eat each other if there is no food available, they actually mourn their dead sometimes
Articles online have outlined how raccoons will seemingly mourn their dead friends or family members, shaking the dead raccoon vigorously trying to get the dead animal to wake up.
Because raccoons are opportunistic feeders, they will usually have many food options available to them, whether this is fresh food like fruits and vegetables, or foods from the garbage and carrion
These animals will happily eat garbage but they will not eat each other.
Also, adult raccoons tend to have a layer of fat on them, this layer of fat keeps them from starving, the animal’s body will draw from the raccoon’s fat reserves when food is difficult to find.
Younger raccoons do not yet have this layer of fat available to them
Will raccoons eat dead raccoons?
Raccoons will not eat dead raccoons, a raccoon is more likely to mourn their dead raccoon friend than eat it. However, raccoons will eat a variety of different roadkill like rabbits, squirrels, mice, and rats.
Raccoons prefer eating roadkill as this type of meat does not have to be chased and caught, raccoons are generally very lazy animals and will take easy meal options over options that take too much energy to catch.
What predators eat raccoons?
Raccoons may be a predator to a variety of animals but there are a number of animals that prey on raccoons. Animals that prey on raccoons include
- Bobcats
- Coyotes
- Wolves
- Lynxes
- Hawks
- Owls
- Crocodiles
- Cougars
- Snakes
- Humans
These animals are happy to put up a fight against the raccoon in order to gain a meal. Once the raccoon’s defences are overpowered it has lost and will become food to any of these predators.
Raccoons are present in a variety of locations but all of these animals may not be, a raccoon will be preyed upon by the dominant predator in the area
Humans are non-animal predators that will not only kill and eat raccoons, but humans will also use the animal’s fur for a variety of uses
Additionally, diseases such as rabies, roundworm, trichinosis and distemper can quickly kill raccoons. Raccoons cannot defend themselves from these illnesses
Conclusion
In conclusion, no, raccoons will not eat other raccoons, these animals mourn their dead, they do not eat their dead.
Animals that will eat raccoons include bobcats, coyotes, wolves, lynxes, hawks, owls, crocodiles, cougars, snakes, and humans. Raccoons can be killed by predators and diseases.
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