Raccoons are pretty peaceful animals that fall in the family of Procyonidae. This family contains other animals like red panda, coati, and ringtail cat. Moreover, raccoons are omnivorous, it means they can eat plants and meat. However, just like squirrel’s raccoons don’t mind eating anything. They can eat any available meat and eat fruits of any type. As raccoon’s food consists of such comprehensive ingredients, they rarely have any food conflict. However, raccoons consider as peaceful animals, but their mood depends on the situation, So, let’s have a look that why do raccoons fight? Not only this but let dive into many other exciting information about raccoons. So if you are interesting, then navigate this article.
As raccoons can eat any available food, not only this, but they are also scavengers. Therefore, they can eat even from the trash.
That’s why raccoons have rare fights with each others. As, the younger raccoons withdraw their fight with elder raccoons. Because not only they respect them, but also elder raccoons are bigger.
But that doesn’t mean raccoons don’t fight with each others. As they can fight over a number of reasons. Firstly, they can fight when they are desperate for food.
Secondly, they can fight when other raccoons try to reach their babies. So let’s have a look at raccoons fighting in detail.
Why Do Raccoons Fight?
Raccoons are cute and peaceful animals with sharp claws. They usually don’t like to fight, but they also try to avoid a fight with different sounds like growling. So let’s have a look at all the reasons for raccoons fighting.
For Food:
However, raccoons are omnivorous and can eat both plants and meat. And raccoons can eat fruits, nuts, berries, reptiles, fish, insects, rodents, and even they can eat bird’s eggs.
Moreover, raccoons are also scavengers it means that they can scavenge food from the trash. Even they can open trash bin lids with their hands.
As raccoon’s food consists of various ingredients, it is possible that there is no food available for them and weather conditions will cause it.
But if they are hungry and no food is available, raccoons try to snatch food from each other. And for food, if raccoons have to fight, they will. So that’s why raccoons fighting for food is also one of the reasons to fight with each others.
To Protect Their Babies:
Protecting their babies as well as territories are those things for which every living body fights. The same will goes for raccoons. As raccoons are also protective towards their children as well as for their nests.
Moreover, to save their child’s mother, raccoons can fight to the death and even kill the predators with their sharp claws.
So not only just female raccoons but also male raccoons protect their child with mother raccoons. And during the period of young babies, if a mother raccoon finds food, then male raccoon have to guard the babies.
For A Mate:
Breeding season for raccoons happens in the months of January and June. And to secure a mate, male raccoons have to fight with each other.
And the winner will get the female raccoon. However, a male raccoon can mate with different females, but a female mate only with one raccoon.
Read also: Do Raccoon Eat Rabbits
So that’s why in the mating period, raccoons fight mostly. But in these fights, raccoons that are young and newly sexually matured have to lose. Because elder raccoons are big in size and are more experienced in fighting.
Rabid Raccoons:
However, rabies is such disease that can control the body and mind of a raccoon fully. And this disease makes raccoons more aggressive and lost in themselves.
Moreover, raccoons are not brutal and fight-seeking animals. As raccoons try their best to stay away from a conflict. But a raccoon with rabies not only becomes more aggressive but also starts to attack other raccoons.
And during this, raccoons fighting rabies can transfer to other raccoons. Not only this, but if a raccoon has rabies, they try to attack other animals as well as they can attack humans. And can transfer this disease to them also. As a scratch is enough to transfer this disease.
A raccoon that has rabies starts to do other abnormal movements also. As they start moving in a circle, back and forth and their aggressive behavior. As normally, raccoons are not aggressive in nature.
How Do Raccoons Fight?
Raccoons are pretty peaceful animals and don’t like to fight. Moreover, raccoons don’t want to hunt as long as proper food is available.
But that doesn’t mean that raccoons are not defensive are cannot fight. Raccoons are equipped with sharp claws and teeth and can rip off the skin of their enemies.
Not only this, but when they are frightened they can attack cats, dogs, humans and other animals as well. However, in the start raccoons try to get rid of other raccoons just with the sound of growling, screeches, etc.
The purpose of such sounds is to avoid a fight. But if no one wants to withdraw after the first alarm, then fighting starts.
And their fighting intensive nature depends upon their aggression. If raccoons are aggressive to each other, then their fight ends with brutally biting each other. As in raccoons fighting larger one will be the winner rather than gender. So during their fight, they try to stick their fur up to look bigger.
What Do Raccoons Sound Like When Fighting?
However, raccoons make sounds during their fighting. And raccoons fighting sounds are similar to the sounds of cats fighting but in a less dense intensity. Not only this, but they sound like pigs bleating sounds, with other horror sounds like screeches, snarling, etc.
Let’s have a look at what do raccoons sound like when fighting.
Hissing And Growling:
During raccoons fighting, hissing and growling are the typical sounds. Moreover, they growl even before fighting to keep away enemies.
Snarling, Screaming, Screeching, And Squealing:
However, when raccoons fight, they make noises like snarling, screaming, screeching, and squealing. And they used to make such sounds during an intensive fight with each others.
Do Raccoons Attack Humans?
Raccoons are wild animals, but they don’t behave wild under various circumstances. As they try to live peacefully and keep their selves away from fights.
However, raccoons are omnivorous and can eat meat and plants, but they try not to hunt for meat. And same goes for humans. As they don’t want to attack humans.
But raccoons can attack humans under certain circumstances. As they can attack humans when humans try to approach their cubs.
Moreover, they can attack humans when humans threaten them. In addition, a raccoon with rabies can attack humans as they are under the control of this disease.
What To Do If Raccoons bite you:
As raccoons are peaceful creatures but they still can attack humans. So here I want to explain that what you have to do if a raccoon attacks you. Or if a raccoon bites you, then what do you have to do?
However, according to a study, more raccoons have rabies. So if a raccoon bites you or scratches you, you will be exposed to this disease from the raccoon’s saliva.
In this case, you have to get medical help as soon as possible. However, rabies is a treatable viral disease but can kill you if not get proper treatment. The symptoms of rabies are fatigue, insomnia, hypersensitivity to light, hallucination, convulsions, etc.
As raccoons are cute and peaceful, but you must have to keep a distance from them. As they can expose you to rabies even without biting you.
How To Get Rid Of Raccoons:
But, if you want to get rid of raccoons, then you can use loud, random sounds. As raccoons hate such sounds. Moreover, you can use predator’s urine to keep them away from a particular area.
As predator’s urine smell indicates the presence of a predator so raccoons stay away from it. And such a deterrent you can get online easily.
Read also: How High Can a Raccoon Jump?
In addition, you can use moving sprinkles to keep raccoons away. Moreover, you can keep raccoons away if you don’t have any food sources. As raccoons can scavenge trash, so you have to make sure that trash bins are appropriately sealed.
Not only this, but you can use electric wires around your yard or garden to keep them away.
Wrap Up:
Raccoons are wild but don’t want to act wild for most of the time. So they don’t want to fight with each other. But raccoons fight under several circumstances. So if you want to know that why raccoons fight?
Raccoons fight if someone wants to approach their child. However, raccoons are not territorial but they fight to protect their child.
Moreover, raccoons fight to secure a mate in matting season. But a rabid raccoon can fight without any reason.
According to a study most raccoons have rabies, so you have to get medical help as soon as possible if a raccoon bites you or scratch you.