The raccoon hunts for its food along the edge of the water, a swamp, a lake, or a pond. Their diet consists of just about anything - baby gators, birds, snails, fish or fruit, but their favorite is crayfish. They catch the food, and eat it near the water to wash it down. Their front paws are just like hands as they eat. They are excellent swimmers and occasionally are eaten by alligators.
Raccoons bear their young alive.
They are called kits and must be cared for by their mother, who teaches them how to hunt. When the babies are first born they are about 10 centimeters, or 4 inches long. They only weigh 2 ounces and are covered with short fuzzy gray fur. The raccoons live mostly in hollow trees or bushes in the hardwood hammocks of the Everglades, near to the water. They sleep most of the day and feed at night.