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raccoon - Britannica Concise
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or ringtail

North American raccoon (Procyon lotor).
North American raccoon (Procyon lotor).
Leonard Lee Rue III

Any of seven species of omnivorous, nocturnal carnivores (genus Procyon, family Procyonidae) characterized by a bushy, ringed tail and a black mask on the face.

The North American raccoon (P. lotor) has a stout body, short legs, pointed muzzle, and small erect ears. It is 30–36 in. (75–90 cm) long, including the 10-in. (25-cm) tail, and weighs over 22 lb (10 kg). The shaggy, coarse fur is iron-gray to blackish. The feet resemble slender human hands. Raccoons eat arthropods, rodents, frogs, berries, fruit, and plants; in towns and cities they thrive on garbage. They prefer woods near water and usually live in hollow trees. The crab-eating raccoon (P. cancrivorus) of South America is similar but has coarser fur.

Images and Media:
raccoon dogNorth American raccoonraccoonNorth American raccoon: searching for food“Couple Wearing Raccoon Coats with a Cadillac, Taken on West 127th Street, A”
More on "raccoon" from Britannica Concise:
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distemper - Viral disease in two forms, canine and feline.
carnivore - Any meat-eating animal, but especially any member of the order Carnivora, consisting of 12 families of primarily predatory mammals: Canidae (e.g., dogs), Ursidae (bears), Procyonidae (raccoons), Mustelidae (weasels), Mephitidae (skunks), Viverridae (civets), Herpestidae (mongooses), Hyaenidae (hyenas), Felidae (cats), Otariidae and Phocidae (seals), and Odobenidae (the walrus).
pet - Any animal kept by humans for companionship or pleasure rather than for utility.
More on "raccoon" from the 32 Volume Encyclopædia Britannica:
raccoon - any of seven species of nocturnal mammals characterized by bushy, ringed tails. The most common and well-known is the North American raccoon (Procyon lotor), which ranges from northern Canada and most of the United States southward into South America. It has a conspicuous black "mask" across the eyes, and the tail is ringed with five to ten black bands.
raccoon dog - (Nyctereutes procyonoides), member of the dog family (Canidae) native to eastern Asia and introduced into Europe. Some authorities place it in the raccoon family, Procyonidae. It resembles the raccoon in having dark facial markings that contrast with its yellowish brown coat, but it does not have a ringed tail. It has short, brown or blackish limbs, a heavy body, and rounded ears. Head and body ...
procyonid - any of a group of tree-climbing mammals comprising raccoons, coatis, the New World ringtail, the cacomistle, and the kinkajou. Though the 18 species are classified as carnivores, procyonids are actually omnivorous and are closely related to bears (family Ursidae). Indeed, both the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and the lesser, or red, panda (Ailurus fulgens) have been grouped in the past as ...
coonhound - any of several breeds of dogs used primarily in hunting raccoons by scent. Coonhounds are noted for the melodious quality of their voices. The black and tan coonhound (see ) was bred in the United States from strains of bloodhound and black and tan foxhound. It is a short-haired, bloodhoundlike dog standing 23 to 27 inches (58 to 68.5 cm) and having a glossy black-and-tan coat. It has the general ...
procyonid - Procyonids belong to the mammalian order Carnivora. They evolved in the tropics, diverging from ursids about 30-50 million years ago.
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