Young raccoons are considered to be playful animals and a baby raccoon looks super cute!Baby raccoons are born in the spring season, in a slightly warm temperature. They have one litter per year and about three to seven kits in one litter.If you live somewhere in South America, North America, and parts of mainland Europe, spotting raccoons would be a common sight in your neighborhood. Raccoons, which are believed by many wildlife experts to have been around for 40,000 years, live outdoors and are most active at night. They share a common ancestry link with bears and have an omnivorous diet. Since these nocturnal animals live outdoors, they also make their nests and dens outside in places like an attic or the chimneys of your home, often creating trouble for humans. The mating season for raccoons begins in the late winter and they give birth to their young ones in early March or late April to June or early July which is also the spring season.It is also possible that the mother raccoon can give birth to her babies in July if she mates late when the babies from her first litter die. Male raccoons are believed to mate with several females each breeding or mating season while female raccoons stick to just one partner. The gestation period in the mothers takes place for around 63 days and the babies are born nine weeks after mating. The female searches for a secure and guarded den site for her young. Since raccoons have the unique capability to climb trees in the wild, they can easily climb tall places. An attic, chimneys, sheds, and secluded storerooms make the perfect sites for them to nest in and raise their young. The female raccoon is an excellent mother and has a high level of instinct when it comes to her babies.Newborn raccoon babies are very dependent on their mother. Once the mating process is over, the males tend to return to their homes or ‘dens’ as raccoons do not form bond pairs and live for life. Hence, it is the mother that solely looks after and raises the young ones. These places keep them safe and protected from predators like coyotes, hawks, owls, and even some humans who hunt them for their fur or hide. Baby raccoons, also known as kits, don’t move around much after they are born. They are born blind and their eyes begin to slowly open only after they are three weeks of age. They begin to move around in the nest or den when the young raccoons are six weeks of age.This is why many humans find them a big nuisance as the noise these baby raccoons make is quite loud and resembles that of a human baby. You can hear them thumping or rustling around in these places, getting the nest ready for the young to be born. Therefore, if you find some raccoons nesting around your house, they should not be removed until the nesting season has passed. At three months, the baby raccoon will start becoming independent from its mother and by six months of age, the baby raccoon will begin to go outside its den to forage for food and shelter.Kits can den with the mother for many months, even in the first winter. The removal of the raccoon family from your property or house should only be done by a proper wildlife professional or animal control so make sure to call them for assistance. The mother raccoon could become aggressive if you go near her or her babies. If you sight raccoons on your property or around your neighborhood during the day, you have to be extra careful as this could indicate that they have rabies. They are known carriers of the rabies virus and they carry it without showing any symptoms or signs.If you enjoyed reading this article on when do raccoons have babies, be sure to check out our why do raccoons wash their food or when do squirrels have babies that you are sure to love!How often do raccoons have babies?The mating occurs in the months of January, February, and March and goes on until late June or July if the offspring in the litter have not survived.Young baby raccoons depend a lot on the mother and so, stay with her for a long time even during the first winter, after which they are known to typically leave. Before they leave, the mother raccoon teaches them how to forage for food and find shelter. These animals are omnivorous so they eat both plants and smaller creatures. The main predators for raccoon babies are the coyote, owls, and even hawks. They are highly dependent on the mother, due to the lack of exposure to the wild and given their delicate features.The females will leave their young ones for several hours during the day to get them food. This also explains why mothers are very sensitive when it comes to their baby raccoons. Once male raccoons and female raccoons mate, they will have about three to seven kits in a litter. Raccoon mating varies according to the specific geographical territory. They don’t give birth to many litters in a year. However, some wildlife researchers and animals experts claim that some raccoons can also have around two litters in a year too!It is important to know that raccoons, however tempted you may be to pet or touch them because of their cuteness, carry the deadly rabies virus. They carry this virus without showing any signs or symptoms hence, it is essential for you to be careful when approaching them. Their ability to climb trees makes it easy for them to go up the walls of your chimney or attic spaces to make a den as a nest for themselves.How many babies do raccoons have in a year usually?A raccoon litter consists of about three to seven young or two to five kits. Each year, only one litter of kits is born.Young raccoons form a line and follow the mother when moving in search of food or shelter. As you know by now, raccoons are nocturnal but they are not born that way. It is only that as they mature and grow, they follow a schedule that caters to activity at night hours. The young males are also seen to stick together which becomes different as they grow into adults, typically seeking a more solitary life. A family of raccoons will often make their nests or dens in urban human structures like attic spaces or the chimney of your house.These enclosed spaces of the attic or chimney also keep them warm during the winter cold. This gives them a secure enclosure from dangerous predators that prey and harm their young. The removal of raccoons from your home should be done by a wildlife professional or animal control so always call them if you need help or any kind of assistance. The mother raises her babies by herself and the young look up to her as they have no exposure to the wildlife. A mother raccoon can make as many as five to six den sites in one area alone!How many times a year do raccoons have babies?A mother will have just one litter or sometimes in very rare cases, two litters a year if the babies in the first one did not survive.The mating usually takes place in a warm climate but this varies across each geographical region. Like most young creatures, baby raccoons are born both deaf and blind and will begin to see and hear only after a period of three weeks. Female raccoons tend to grow faster than the males! They are very adaptable creatures so it doesn’t take long for the babies to grow, mature, and become independent.What time of year do raccoons have their babies?Raccoons normally mate in late winters and the babies come in the early spring seasons. It depends upon the climatic conditions of the regions where they are in.The young look similar to the adults in appearance but without their markings which they only get a few weeks later as they grow. Raccoon babies are highly energetic but still depend a lot on their mother for a variety of needs. The cry of a raccoon baby is very similar to that of a human baby!When do wild raccoons have their babies?All raccoon species have their babies around the same time of the year, with maybe only slight variations.They mate during the winters and have their young ones in the months of April or March sometimes extending until late July if they have lost some babies from the first litter. There are people and technicians trained in humane raccoon removal. Therefore, if you want to remove these nocturnal creatures from any enclosed space in your home, be sure to call for professional help.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for when do raccoons have babies then why not take a look at when do whitetail deer shed their antlers or why do dogs lick wounds that you are sure to enjoy!
Young raccoons are considered to be playful animals and a baby raccoon looks super cute!
