| The North American raccoon, Procyon lotor, can be a pest in residential and agricultural communities as it routs through garbage, crops, and sewer systems in search of food. Raccoons appear to “wash” their food, exploring it with their nimble front paws, even in the absence of water. This behavior is the source of their common name, a derivative of the Native American word arakun, roughly “he who scratches with his hands.” |