Raccoons are common across most of North America. As adults, they are typically a little larger than a housecat and can easily be identified by their masked face and bands of black stripes on their tail. Raccoons are considered nocturnal, but are often active during daylight hours as well. The average diet consists of fruit, nuts and seeds, bird eggs, snakes, insects and when opportunity allows, human food.
Raccoons, like other wildlife, carry zoonotic diseases that can be spread to humans and family pets. In Texas, raccoons are considered a high-risk rabies carrier and any human or pet contact with raccoons should be reported to the rabies control authority.
