The raccoon,
Procyon lotor, is native to
North and
Central America. They're
omnivorous, eating
fruits,
vegetables,
nuts, and
invertebrates. Their five-toed front
paws look a lot like human
hands and allow them to clasp
food items; those in captivity often dip food items in
water before eating them, but this is rarely observed in the wild.
Raccoons are nocturnal and fairly intelligent; those who live in human-populated areas do things like getting into trash cans by opening the lids. They are generally brownish to gray with a "mask" of black fur on their eyes and black rings around their bushy tail, and weigh six to seven kilograms. They climb well, and swim when forced to (but they prefer to avoid this because their fur is not waterproof). They prefer to live in woodland near water but are pretty adaptable. Humans are nearly their only remaining predator.