Raccoons are omnivores, these animals have teeth that are able to tear into and eat both plant and animal matter. Raccoons are able to adapt to different environments, eating whatever they can in order to survive.
Not only are they able to survive, but these animals thrive regardless of their diet. So how about eating foods like worms? Can raccoons eat worms? This article looks into it.
Raccoons certainly eat worms, these animals enjoy eating worms because worms are easy to catch and do not offer much resistance when raccoons try to eat them. This food also delivers good amounts of protein, amino acids, and iron into the raccoon’s body.
Table of Contents
Do raccoons eat worms?
Raccoon diets are made up of a variety of foods, raccoons eat birds, eggs, fish, squirrels, rats, poultry, crawfish, vegetables, snakes, grains, nuts, vegetables, frogs, mollusks, carrion, pet food, berries, a variety of fruits and worms as well.
How raccoons find woms:
Raccoons are able to use their paws to catch worms of all types. If you have raccoons in your garden they are likely in there digging up your lawns looking for worms such as grubs and earthworms. Grubs make up a major part of the raccoon diet in urban areas.
These animals can usually reach into the ground, grab their meal, and pull it out of the soil without causing much damage. Then again, sometimes raccoons can tear up your lawn looking for food.
Why raccoons eat worms:
Worms are a good source of protein, earthworms are seen as a superfood because they contain high levels of iron, high levels of amino acids, and high levels of protein.
Because these animals are omnivores, they look for the easiest prey to catch, worms are small and very slow compared to raccoons, therefore they are a great source of food for these animals.
The easier the prey is to catch the more attractive the prey is for raccoons. If raccoons are able to find foods that do not need much effort to catch then the animals will likely go for this food.
Although raccoons eat worms, this food is not a raccoon’s favorite meal, still, raccoons will not be too fussy about what they eat if food is not abundant. They simply eat whatever food is available in their environment.
What other insects do raccoons eat?
Insects and worms are an essential part of the raccoon diet, they are abundant and are easy to simply grab. The insects that raccoons eat generally depend on what insects are available in the area, other worms and insects that raccoons eat include:
Slugs and snails: These are loved by raccoons because they are slow and easy to catch. Their texture is soft and slimy which raccoons love.
Earthworms and June bugs: Raccoons take a particular liking to June bugs and earthworms because of their soft texture and their juicy bodies.
Larvae: These insects are also easy to eat and do not put up a fight when eaten. Raccoons generally eat larvae in very small amounts.
Spiders: Spiders do not have juicy and soft bodies like the bugs mentioned above do, but they are still a good source of protein and raccoons do enjoy them.
What is a raccoons favorite thing to eat?
Although raccoons eat worms there are other foods that raccoons eat and love. These omnivores eat a variety of foods but these foods are a raccoon’s favorite thing to eat:
- Grapes
- Corn
- Nuts
- Eggs
- Insects
- Berries
Can raccoons eat anything?
Raccoons can and do eat almost anything.
The fact that they are omnivores makes eating a variety of different types of foods very easy. Their meals largely depend on where they live and what foods are available to them.
If raccoons live in residential areas then they will dig in the trash for food if they have to, that being said. There are foods that raccoons cannot eat, these include:
Onions and spices:
Raccoons may sometimes dig up trash that contains onions or spices but this is not good for them, onions contain disulfide and sulfoxides, these can cause anemia in raccoons
Avocados:
Although avocados are delicious to humans they contain persin, persin can cause raccoons to develop heat congestion, vomiting, and diarrhea. Avocado seeds are a choking hazard to raccoons
Chocolate, cocoa, or coffee:
All of these foods contain a chemical called theobromine, theobromine can cause the raccoon’s heart rate to speed up and derail their nervous system, this can cause the animal to become aggressive, irritable, or hyperactive
Conclusion
In conclusion, yes raccoons can eat worms, worms are chewy, soft, juicy, and delicious to raccoons, they are also a good source of protein for raccoons and an easy food to catch and eat.
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