Males have a baculum. The incisors are not specialized, the canines are elongate, the premolars are small and sharp, and the molars are broad and low-crowned. The carnassials are developed only in Bassariscus. Procyonids walk on the sole of the foot, with the heel touching the ground, or partly on the sole and partly on the digits. The gait is usually bearlike.
Most procyonids shelter in hollow trees, on large branches, or in rock crevices.
Most become active in the evening, but Nasua may be primarily diurnal. The diet is omnivorous, though Potos and Bassaricyon seem to depend largely on fruit, and Ailurus feeds mainly on bamboo. Most genera travel in pairs or family groups and give birth in the spring. The Johns Hopkins University Press. All rights reserved.