If you’re living in one of the southern states, alligators will not be an unfamiliar sight to you. This is also where foxes nest (and rest), which causes the two species to cross paths often. They will give birth to 3-5 babies, usually in holes or borrows. However, it is much more common for a raccoon to nest closer to the ground. Most raccoons will sleep and have their nests up in a tree. As both the fox and raccoon share one habitat, it is not uncommon for a fox to kill baby raccoons in their nests during springtime. Usually, they will devour animals like rats, mice, or small birds.īoth the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes) and grey fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus) will occasionally eat a baby raccoon, if given the opportunity. Foxes eat their way through whatever crosses their path. They are in many ways very similar to raccoons: they are omnivores and opportunists. While they tend to avoid people, they will hunt small critters such as raccoons, mice, rats, squirrels, birds, and rabbits.įoxes are a common sight around many suburban neighborhoods. The large cats help to keep the raccoon population manageable, which is beneficial to the overall ecosystem.īobcats can be found throughout the United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. A bobcat will generally target individuals, especially if they are weak or old.īaby raccoons are an important seasonal source of nutrition for the bobcat. Bobcats will hunt and eat raccoons when given the opportunity. While large wild cats do not commonly kill and eat raccoons, they will target them occasionally. The mother owl will attack any invading raccoons to defend her eggs or baby owls. A raccoon will opportunistically try to climb into a tree and sneak into an owl’s nest, trying to steal their eggs or newborn owls. However, raccoons are not necessarily scared of (especially the smaller) owls. This makes them unique in the owl world, mainly because they are the only large owl species to do so. The great horned owl is known to actively kill and eat raccoons, even though its main diet consists of mice and small rats. Great horned owls ( Bubo virginianus) are the second-largest species of owl in North America, and are distinctively recognizable thanks to their horn-like ears. In the United States (and the wider North-American continent), common hawk species that will kill and eat raccoons include: However, they are wary of sick adults that show signs of rabies, a common lethal virus carried by the raccoon. Hawks prey on a variety of small mammals, but will not refuse to eat some raccoon meat when given the opportunity. Whereas the smaller hawks will generally prey on young or weakened individuals, the larger varieties will sometimes even try to eat bigger raccoons. One of the biggest dangers for raccoons is predatory birds. All wild predators combined kill fewer raccoons than humans do. However, humans are by far the biggest predator that kills raccoons. Predatory animals that eat raccoons include hawks, owls, bobcats, foxes, alligators, snakes, coyotes, bears, wolves, cougars, lynx, ocelots, and domestic dogs. Animal predators primarily kill baby raccoons, or weak adults. Especially in North America, there is a range of natural predators that hunt and kill raccoons for various reasons.Īpart from humans, the most important raccoon predators are the great horned owl, cooper’s hawk, red-tailed hawk, northern harrier, coyote, wolf, and copperhead snake. Raccoons are part of the food chain, and other animals will eat a raccoon if given the opportunity.
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