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Seattle, Washington
$1,300.00
Title
Out On A Limb
Artist
Kym Backland
Medium
Photograph
Description
My afternoon with the one of the coonies! This little "Masked Bandit" and his brother have been lots of trouble. They climbed up "way too high" into my Ornament Maple Tree. This one and his brother went "out on a limb" a skinny limb, and down to the ground in a pile they both fell. They were knocked unconscious for at least three hours. I left them alone with their Mother.. The good story is they woke up and made it out okay.
Here are some of those raccoon facts.
The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a native mammal, measuring about 3 feet long, including its 12-inch, bushy, ringed tail. Because their hind legs are longer than the front legs, raccoons have a hunched appearance when they walk or run. Each of their front feet has five dexterous toes, allowing raccoons to grasp and manipulate food and other items Raccoons prefer forest areas near a stream or water source, but have adapted to various environments throughout Washington. Raccoon populations can get quite large in urban areas, owing to hunting and trapping restrictions, few predators, and human-supplied food. Adult raccoons weigh 15 to 40 pounds, their weight being a result of genetics, age, available food, and habitat location. Males have weighed in at over 60 pounds. A raccoon in the wild will probably weigh less than the urbanized raccoon that has learned to live on handouts, pet food, and garbage-can leftovers. As long as raccoons are kept out of human homes, not cornered, and not treated as pets, they are not dangerous. Facts about Washington Raccoons Food and Feeding Habitats Raccoons will eat almost anything, but are particularly fond of creatures found in water—clams, crayfish, frogs, fish, and snails.
Raccoons also eat insects, slugs, dead animals, birds and bird eggs, as well as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Around humans, raccoons often eat garbage and pet food. Although not great hunters, raccoons can catch young gophers, squirrels, mice, and rats. Except during the breeding season and for females with young, raccoons are solitary. Individuals will eat together if a large amount of food is available in an area. Den Sites and Resting Sites
•Dens are used for shelter and raising young. They include abandoned burrows dug by other mammals, areas in or under large rock piles and brush piles, hollow logs, and holes in trees.
Den sites also include wood duck nest-boxes, attics, crawl spaces, chimneys, and abandoned vehicles.
In urban areas, raccoons normally use den sites as daytime rest sites. In wooded areas, they often rest in trees.
Raccoons generally move to different den or daytime rest site every few days and do not follow a predictable pattern. Only a female with young or an animal “holed up” during a cold spell will use the same den for any length of time. Several raccoons may den together during winter storms.
Reproduction and Home Range
Raccoons pair up only during the breeding season, and mating occurs as early as January to as late as June. The peak mating period is March to April.
•After a 65-day gestation period, two to three kits are born.
•The kits remain in the den until they are about seven weeks old, at which time they can walk, run, climb, and begin to occupy alternate dens.
•At eight to ten weeks of age, the young regularly accompany their mother outside the den and forage for them selves. By 12 weeks, the kits roam on their own for several nights before returning to their mother.
•The kits remain with their mother in her home range through winter, and in early spring seek out their own territories. The size of a raccoon’s home range as well as its nightly hunting area varies greatly depending on the habitat and food supply. Home range diameters of 1 mile are known to occur in urban areas.
Mortality and Longevity
Raccoons die from encounters with vehicles, hunters, and trappers, and from disease, starvation, and predation.
Young raccoons are the main victims of starvation, since they have very little fat reserves to draw from during food shortages in late winter and early spring.
Raccoon predators include cougars, bobcats, coyotes, and domestic dogs. Large owls and eagles will prey on young raccoons.
The average life span of a raccoon in the wild is 2 to 3 years; captive raccoons have lived Viewing Raccoons can be seen throughout the year, except during extremely cold periods. Usually observed at night, they are occasionally seen during the day eating or napping in a tree or searching elsewhere for food. Coastal raccoons take advantage of low tides and are seen foraging on shellfish and other food by day.Trails Raccoons use trails made by other wildlife or humans next to creeks, ravines, ponds, and other water sources. Raccoons often use culverts as a safe way to cross under roads. With a marsh on one side of the road and woods on the other, a culvert becomes their chief route back and forth. Look for raccoon tracks in sand, mud, or soft soil at either end of the culvert. In developed areas, raccoon travel along fences, next to buildings, and near food sources.
Uploaded
August 15th, 2013
Statistics
Viewed 1,027 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/18/2024 at 4:39 PM
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Sales Sheet
Iola, WI - United States
Congrats on your Showcased Artist Feature! Wonderful capture! Love the description! L&F
Cambridge, ON - Canada
Fantastic capture of this sweet little raccoon, Kym! Delightful story! Congratulations on your Wisconsin Flowers And Scenery SHOWCASED ARTIST feature! L/F
Iola, WI - United States
A big congratulations to you for being chosen as our 'SHOWCASED ARTIST' of the week for the Wisconsin Flowers and Scenery group. Your art works are very indicative of a professional, and it is a true honor to "showcase" your art pieces for this week in this new venue we are providing for our members. Thanks for your awesome submissions, and it is an honor to have you as a member of our family of friends and fine artists within the WFS group. Special thanks and congratulations from your administrator, Randy "Elvis" Rosenberger
Carterton - New Zealand
So cute and so glad they survived their fall! Thank you Kym for leading me to your page by following mine. I am enchanted by all your raccoon and squirrel photos and your wonderful story descriptions which will take me time to get through them all so I'll be back. They are so entertaining, thank you for sharing all the special moments of these animals!
Telford, PA - United States
Love this! Very cute and clean capture of this little guy, Kym. Glad he survived his fall!
Sherbrooke, Qc - Canada
Cute as a bug ! (is that the expression?) If they are so urbanized they soon be obese, I'm afraid...no less cute, though...fl
San Lorenzo, CA - United States
Oh my gosh, they were knocked unconscious?!! Poor things!! Wow, they certainly seem to give you lots to watch, don't they, lol?!! Fantastic image!! :)))fv
Merritt Island, Fl - United States
LOL…great capture, Kym. Thank you so much for encouraging me so generously. I hope that your hand is better. f/l
Fort St John, BC - Canada
Fantastic shot Kym. I like your titles, you sound like a fun sort of gal. A fave too.
Grants Pass, OR - United States
Kym, this is a great image to go along with that superb story and information! This is a "home run" for you!! :) F/V
Glastonbury, So - United Kingdom
I love them all of course Kym,but I'm going for this raccoon first today! I'm so sorry he fell but unbelievably recovered after so many hours.So good that you "knew" to leave him alone. He looks a perfect picture in your pretty tree! L/F
Reno, NV - United States
Oh, Kym, I think this is my favorite of the "conies" though they are all wonderful! Great capture! V/F
Young Harris, GA - United States
I love this shot, Kym, but I didn't realize the little guys knocked themselves out for that long! I'm glad you were around to watch out foe them while they were down, and that they seem to have learned from it and weren't hurt! f/v
Seattle, Wa - United States
NADINE AND BOB JOHNSTON, Yikes so behind in my thank you replies! Thank for feature of my photo OUT ON A LIMB in your wonderful new group STARZ. I appreciate it very much Bob~
Strykersville, NY - United States
What an incredible shot Kym - you know...whether I find one of your images early in the morning or late in the evening, I start or end my day with such a smile. I wonder if you know just what a gift that is? What grace that offers when things in life might not look so bright? You have amazing talent, of course...you're a fabulous photographer...but the "gift" is really even more special. I just love this so much - marvelous expression on this little guy's face. LOVE it. F/V FB
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