Raccoons and Opossums enter our attics, chimneys, crawl spaces, under homes, shrubbery, and buildings. Coming to den for the winter breeding season. Females find comfortable places to have their litter. They can be very creative and destructive when getting in.

 

• Raccoon Breeding

Breeding Season January - March. Severe winter weather they will become dormant in northern areas. Raccoons pair only to mate and do not form long-term bonds. The females ovulate spontaneously and give birth to one litter a year.

 

Adult female raccoons called Sow's breed anytime from December to June. Depending on climate and environmental conditions, although most breeding occurs between January and March, reaching a peak in February. The female Raccoon gives birth around April - May. Litter sizes can range from 1-8 with an average of 3 or 4 per litter. The gestation period of 63 days. After about 18-23 days their eyes open. They stay in the den for 8 - 10 weeks of nursing until they are 14 weeks of age.

 

Males called Boars will mate with more than one female during the year and do not share in the rearing of young. While males and females can begin breeding as early as the first year, males do not usually breed until the second year because of competition from older males. 

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Raccoon Behavior

All raccoons are nocturnal and omnivorous, eating berries, insects, eggs and small animals. Raccoons sometimes wash, or douse, their food in water before eating it. It is unknown why raccoons perform dousing, but cleaning food is unlikely to be the reason. Studies have found that raccoons engage in dousing motions when water is unavailable; researchers note that captive raccoons are more likely than wild raccoons to douse food. It has been suggested that captive raccoons are mimicking fishing and shellfish-foraging behaviors. It may also be that the raccoon is searching for unwanted material, as water is thought to heighten their sense of touch.

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• Opossum Breeding

The breading season for the Virgina opossum can begin as early as December and continue through October with most infants born between the months of February and June. A female opossum may have 1-3 liters per year. Opossums can begin breeding before they are 1 year old. With a gestation period of just 13 days. During the mating season, the male attracts the female by making clicking sounds with his mouth. The average life span for opossums in the wild is 1-2 years. To make up for this high mortality rate opossums breed quickly and efficiently.

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Opossum Behavior

​Opossums are not very intelligent. and they are not very fast ( they can often be seen " waddling" along at a slow pace). They often have encounters with predators. Although opossums have more teeth ( 50) in their mouths than any other land mammal in North America, only the large canines are dangerous. Opossums will sometimes bite in self defense and can cause injury to a dog or cat. However, they transmit few diseases, and it is extremely rare for them to carry rabies. One reason might be that their body temperature is lower than most placental mammal. Another might be, through the effects of evolution, they are more remotely related to other mammals.