Raccoons are highly adaptable animals that can live in many different environments, including cities. They prosper in urban areas because they can easily find food and shelter. Raccoons are clever and resourceful.
They use human-made buildings and structures to survive. In cities, they find food in garbage cans, compost piles, and outdoor eateries, where they can stay safe and raise their young. Here we present you the places where they prefer to live:
1. Attics
They mainly reside in areas such as the attic or roof space of buildings which are so familiar in the city. Mostly, old-fashioned houses always have attics that the raccoons will not find difficult to penetrate.
It provide protection from predators and also these places provide a ground where they can lay babies. Raccoons prefer attics because the space is warm, sheltered from both cold and rain and is not used by people. These areas can be accessed by raccoons through small cracks, or holes that they find in the roof or walls or by smashing broken vents.
A female raccoon commonly known as sow will give birth to her babies 'kits' in the attic so that they can be protected from other animals. Raccoons in the attic pose a threat of damage to the structure of the home mostly through their devastating habit of chewing on wires, insulation and ducts.
Sewers and storm drains are another common home for city-dwelling raccoons. Raccoons often search through trash bins and public trash cans for food discovering these hidden spaces.
The dark and hidden nature of sewers makes them ideal for raccoons to stay out of sight from both predators and humans. They also maintain a consistent temperature and humidity. While raccoons might not always live in sewers full-time, they often use them to travel from one part of the city to another.
3. Garages
Raccoons are also known to live in detached garages and sheds in urban areas. These structures are often easier to access than houses with gaps in the doors, or poorly sealed walls.
A raccoon will usually break into a garage or shed through an unsecured window or door to enter. Garages offer raccoons plenty of shelter, and they are often used as nesting sites.
Unlike attics, garages provide easy entry points but still offer protection from the weather. Many garages are located in residential areas, so raccoons eat food like bird seed, pet food, or discarded garbage nearby.
Although much of the city is filled with human activity, urban parks and green spaces are important for raccoons. These parks have dense vegetation and water sources like ponds or streams.
These areas mimic the natural habitats of raccoons that offer cover from predators and provide food like insects, fish, and crustaceans. Raccoons may use parks for both living and foraging.
In addition to trees and water, parks often have shelters like hollow trees or abandoned buildings where raccoons can rest. These areas give raccoons places to nest during the day or in extreme weather.
5. Basements
These animals take shelter in basements and crawlspaces with poor maintenance or structural problems. Basements are cool, and dark, making them an ideal place to stay.
Crawlspaces which are found beneath many homes also offer great hiding spots. These areas are hard to access but offer safety and seclusion. If a raccoon gets into a crawlspace, it will use insulation, old furniture, or other discarded materials to build a nest.
Many city homeowners don’t realize that raccoons are living under their houses until they hear strange noises or notice signs of damage. These spaces are often easy for raccoons to access because they are close to the ground. Sometimes, raccoon families stay for weeks or months without being noticed.
You might have frequently found raccoons scavenging near restaurants, grocery stores, and food markets. Dumpsters behind restaurants or food markets are especially attractive to them. Since raccoons are not picky eaters they break into waste containers to get leftover food.
Raccoons are known for entering restaurants and food businesses through small openings or unsecured doors. Once inside, they find their way to food storage areas, where they can cause damage by eating and contaminating food. Their sharp sense of smell and intelligence often lead them to these food-rich environments.
7. Underground Structures
These animals are also known to live in less obvious spaces in the city, such as underground tunnels, subways, and rooftops. These areas provide raccoons with a secluded environment away from the busy urban life and potential threats.
Underground tunnels and subways, filled with water, debris, and hidden spaces, allow raccoons to stay hidden and travel easily across the city. Rooftops are another popular spot for raccoons.
City rooftops provide a safe place for raccoons to rest, nest, or survey their surroundings. Many buildings have rooftop access points that are intentionally built or due to structural flaws.
Raccoons can live in many different places, including forests, wetlands, and cities. Urban areas give them plenty of food, like garbage and leftover food, and safe places to live, like attics, basements, and sewers. They are so adaptable that they can survive even in the busiest cities.
2. Use of 'Caches' for Food Storage
Raccoons often store food in temporary spots called "caches." In the wild, they hide food in hollow trees or dense vegetation. In cities, they might stash it under porches, in garages, or alleys. This habit helps them save food for times when it’s harder to find.
3. Nocturnal and Secretive Dwellers
Raccoons are mostly active at night. This keeps them safe from predators and away from humans. Being nocturnal also makes it easier for them to explore cities quietly. They use dark, hidden places like sewers or attics to sleep and stay safe during the day.
4. Strong Sense of Smell and Dexterity
Raccoons are excellent at finding food thanks to their strong sense of smell. They can sniff out food from far away. They also have very flexible front paws, which allow them to open trash cans, dig through bins, and handle objects. This skill helps them live easily in human environments.
5. Use of Abandoned Structures for Shelter
Raccoons are creative when it comes to finding shelter. They often use abandoned buildings, old houses, or empty structures to make their homes. They get in through broken windows, gaps, or loose roofs. Once inside, they build nests using materials like insulation and leaves, and they can live there for months.
Raccoons are known for scavenging trash bins. If you notice garbage cans tipped over or torn apart, you have to get rid of raccoons. They can easily break through bags or lids to access food.
Afterward, they leave a mess, scattering trash around. Damaged bins may have holes, torn plastic, or be completely destroyed. This often happens when trash is left out overnight.
2. Tracks and Scat
Raccoon tracks are easy to spot. They have five distinct toes on each foot, and their tracks look similar to human handprints. You may find these tracks near food sources, trash bins, or hidden areas like attics or basements.
Raccoon scat is dark, cylindrical, and often contains undigested food. It can help you identify their diet and the areas they frequent.
3. Signs of Chewing
Raccoons chew on many materials. They may leave bite marks on wood, insulation, or plastic. If you see damage to wires, beams, or furniture, a raccoon may be the cause.
Raccoons will also chew through pipes or walls to create entry points. This damage is often found in places like attics, basements, or areas where they are nesting.
Raccoons build nests in quiet, hidden spaces like attics or crawlspaces. You may find shredded insulation, torn paper, or leaves in these areas. They use these materials to create a warm, safe nest.
A mother raccoon may give birth and raise her kits in these secluded spaces. These nests are often in dark areas away from human activity.
5. Nocturnal Sounds
Raccoons are most active at night. If you hear scratching, scurrying, or thumping noises, it could be a sign of raccoon activity. These sounds usually come from attics, roofs, or walls.
Raccoons may also chatter or growl, especially if they are threatened or communicating with their young. These noises are louder at night when raccoons are active.
What Do Raccoons Do In Winter?
Winter is a very important season in the raccoon life cycle; as they are very flexible animals, so they also adapt to winter. Contrary to other animals which may go to hibernate, raccoons experience something called torpor.
While not active, they are either very much inactive in order to save on energy. But they are not completely inactive as they are reactive more in their dens than during other seasons.
Denning and Shelter
During the winter, raccoons search for places to shelter them from extreme cold. They like those dens which will protect them from extreme weather conditions. These dens can be located in a tree hollow, in a building that is no longer in use or under a porch or in an attic of a house in an urban setting.
Raccoons are great at looking for a place to sleep, and they are very good at using their claws to look for a good place to lay. When they are hunting for a perfect den, they will spend several days or weeks and then come out to look for food for several days again.
The northern winter means that a number of species have to starve to death and raccoons are no exception to that rule. Its food during the cold times include whoever is available whether it is a small animal, plants and leftovers from human meals.
Raccoons will eat the leftovers from the trash can, from bird feeders and any other food they find easy to get. Even at such intense cold, raccoons remain active, though they forage less actively than they would otherwise do because they feed off their fat deposits.
Energy Conservation
Raccoons are also night animals which means that they are most active at night as compared to other times of the day. They become even more lethargic in the winter especially during the day. They rather spend their time indoors in warm burrows because they are tired.
The ‘warm front’ in the evening or at night may force them out in search of food. In this way, raccoons simply save their strength and do not move very much – in the winter, they wait for warmer days.
