Raccoons and coatis | Procyonidae

Wasberen en neusberen | Prociónidos

Plantigrade omnivores with five toes on each foot and curved, non-retractile claws. In the raccoon the palm and fingers are set with an exceptionally dense field of touch corpuscles: it finds its food by feel in shallow water and under stones, and that sense of touch is sharper than its sight — in water it grows more sensitive still, which explains the familiar 'washing'. The hind foot can be turned far enough for the animal to come down a tree head first. The tail is long and ringed. The teeth are an omnivore's: the shearing action is blunted and the cheekteeth are broad. The coati departs from the pattern with a long, highly mobile snout for rooting through leaf litter, and with females and young that travel in bands while the adult males live alone. Both European species are American in origin and escaped from captivity.