Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-10-30
ALL ABOUT 'BRER COON"
A NOCTURNAL PRoWLER Of
THE WEST AND SOUTH.
The Structure and Habits of the Raccoon
which Is Common I'm Amerioa--
Kindred Animals In Other
Countries.

The raccoon, absolutely peculiar to
North America is stoutly built quad
ruped. says the New York Sun, al
though its coat of long coarse hair
makes it look yet stouter than 1t real
ly is. 1t is about the size OF badger,
and has sharp-pointed muzzle. rather
short ears and moderately long,
bushy, but cylindrically shaped tail
marked with black and white rings.
The general color OF its hair is grayish
brown and there is light colored
patch over either eye and on the side
of the muzzle The limbs are OF
medium length and each paw has ave
toes Those of the forepaw can be
stretched wide apart and all the digits
have arched and pointed claws which
are not retractable, like those OF cat
When standing. the soles OF the feet
are wholly applied to the ground, so
that the animal is what is called planti-
grade. although in walking the heel is
somewhat raised. It's grinding or
molar teeth are mostly broad and
rather fat with moderate prominences,
and no remarkably sharp blades
adapted for cutting flesh. Its name Of
raccoon. Familiarity abbreviated into
coon, Is corruption OF its Indian
designation, arath- leone. Its natural
range extends all over the United
States, both north to Alaska and sosth
to Costa Rica attaining its largest
size in the South.
1t stirs but very little by day. and
IL. sa A,,n nn1
cloudy. No North American animals
are moro strictly nocturnal, except
bats and flying squirrels. And 1T not
only sleeps by day, but also during
the winter Yet it makes no specially
comfortable nest wherein to repose,
but only coils itself up in the hollow
tree. for it chooses, no doubt for
greater security. an elevated position.
There is n Southern species called the
crab eating raccoon. but as we see,
that term could in fact also be applied
to the Northern kind. The Southern
one has, as might be expected, shorter
fur, and it has also stronger teeth, but
toherwise Is very like the Northern
kind, both in structure and habits. 1t
ia to be found all over South America
as far south as the Rio Negro.
Two beasts, closely allied to the rae
coon but more slender in build and
with larger tails are found-one in
some parts of the United States and in
Mexico. 1t has been captured in Ohio.
and in Oregon northwest OF Jackson
vile. The other comes from Central
America Catamiztli was name APP
piled to this kind in Mexico. and it is
also called cacomistle and the cat
squirrel by the Texans. It's real re-
lationship to the raccoon was long un-
suspected. as it was taken to be one
form OF the. very different group Of
civets. These two beasts go more on
the tips of their toes than do the rae
coons. They are readily tanned, and
are made pets OF by the miners of Cali
fornia- They dwell in woods. and
make a moss-lined nest in n hollow
tree, and are often betrayed by chips
Of wood which they will gnaw of
round the mouth of the hole they in
habit Their food consists of small
kinds of beasts and also insects. They
are useful for destroying mice and rats,
but are very destructive TO poultry.
and are naturally bold, and will fight
furiously with claws and teeth. They
prefer TO inhabit woods traversed by
water courses. Two more species Of
animals, also entirely confined TO the
new world, are known as coatimundis,
or COATS, one OF which Is confined TO
Mexico and Central America, and the
other to South America, from Surinam
to Paraguay. They are not 30 thickly
built as are the raccoons, and have
longer and more slender and tapering
tails. but their main peculiarly con-
sists in the possession of n very
elongated and mobile snout or short
proboscis The COATS live mainly in
trees going about in troops OF from
about eight to twenty individuals.
They are also. like raccoons, indis-
criminate feeders eating fruit and
insects as we'll as birds and eggs
South and Central America produce
another kindred animal though very
distant in aspect and organization.
This Is the kinkaiou, or potto. a strict
Ily forest creature, found in the warmer
parts OF South and Central America
1t has a long body but short limbs,
which are well fitted for olinging to
the trunks and branches of trees by
the very strong and sharp claws with
which all the toes are provided. But
II is still better fitted for arboreal life
by means OF its tail, which Is very long.
and also strongly prehensile, like the
tails OF SO many American monkeys.
The kinkajou Is OF about the size Of a
rather small cat, and is clothed with
short, dense fur OF uniform pale
! yellowish- brown color. 1t has q broad.
, round head. with very short ears and
: an extremely long and very extensile
tongue. which Is, no doubt Of much
use to It in eating honey OF which 1t
IL very fond. although IL will also de-
YOUR eggs and small birds and bsasts-
II Is nocturnal animal Of rather a
gentle disposition. and II Is easily
tanned In captivity it will live on
oranges and bananas which it eats
greedily. tits not uncommonly found
On boIaa of trees WHARF IA liea con.