Racoons on Tortoise

[nylesmommy]

Yeah i seen them on the funny videos coming to cat while he was eating and even after being smacked around a bit still grabbing a handful of food ,then eating it few steps away and going back for the next boxing round lol in broad daylight so be careful and listen on here ! Wise people

 

[acrantophis]

A friend of mine was losing whole ducklings and finding little pieces of them DESPITE them being locked inside a pen 24/7. We researched the possible culprits and found out raccoons are the largest member of the WEASEL family. Weasels are ruthless and efficient predators. One site referred to raccoons as "super-predators" because they are very smart and have OPPOSABLE thumbs like humans. I never knew they had opposable thumbs! They can easily open many things other animals can't. And they swim well too. My friend's duckling enclosure was made of double layers of chicken wire: good protection from CHICKENS but useless against raccoons!

Weasels are in the mustelid family. Raccoons are in the family procyon. More closely related to bears not weasels. The largest mustelids are the binturong, the wolverine and the honey badger.

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A friend of mine was losing whole ducklings and finding little pieces of them DESPITE them being locked inside a pen 24/7. We researched the possible culprits and found out raccoons are the largest member of the WEASEL family. Weasels are ruthless and efficient predators. One site referred to raccoons as "super-predators" because they are very smart and have OPPOSABLE thumbs like humans. I never knew they had opposable thumbs! They can easily open many things other animals can't. And they swim well too. My friend's duckling enclosure was made of double layers of chicken wire: good protection from CHICKENS but useless against raccoons!

 

[turtlelady80]

I am so glad I have somewhere to vent about raccoons! I hate them! They traumatized me as a child. My first water turtles I ever had was when I was about 10 years old. I had them in a baby pool outside on my back porch. Their names were Wiji, Jasper and Tigu (wow i remember lol) Anyway, one morning before school I went out to feed my little friends and found bits and pieces of turtle sprawled all over my porch and guts floating in the water. I had a freak attack! I think my heart even stopped. I was devastated. The next week I had a new turtle and one night I went out after dark to bring the turtle in to find the raccoon sitting in the middle of the baby pool with my turtle in his hands! With no hesitation of course I lung at it, it dropped my turtle and ran away. My turtle was safe Anyway, it damaged me for life lol. I remember that morning like it was yesterday. So one more time....I HATE RACCOONS!! Phew, I feel better.

 

[Moozillion]

Thanks Acantropis! My friend and I got our info off the Internet: If it's on the Internet, it's GOT to be true, right? NOT!!! Haha! Thanks for the correction!

 

[Jacqui]

So one more time....I HATE RACCOONS!! Phew, I feel better.

Glad you got that out and it made you feel better. Funny how certain days stay firmly fixed in our minds isn't it?

 

[yagyujubei]

Live catch trap and a .22. is the only effective way. You never really just have one. Mothers will bring the kids, next year, they will bring theirs. Before long, your house will be on the list of every raccoon around.

 

[Renj]

Problem is, you no longer have very many options. You have allowed the coons to know the tortoise area is a food source. Your biggest asset is now lost and they have moved from just scouting to actively using your area as a nightly hunt zone. One thing everybody in here is over looking is, coons normally only come out and hunt at night, but they can and do come out at other times, too. I learned this when I played games with a family of them going after my chickens a few years back. I learned sometimes they would come out in the late afternoons or really early evenings, several hours before dusk.

I would no longer be allowing my tortoise out, except early in the day and when I am there. I would no longer be feeding her outside. Are they eating the plants or just knocking them around while searching for where the smells of food and tortoise are coming from? Can you have her out while your watching her in another area of the yard for awhile? Just totally abandon her current location.

Hi Jacqui, well what they really do is they dig up the plants but they never eat it. I guess they are searching for food or leftovers. They mess and loiter just for the heck of it. One time I placed a bonsai and some stones around it, the next day it's been knocked down and stones where everywhere. They dig everywhere.... And yes, I do take her for a lap in our massive yard every afternoon but I'm always on the watch. It's a big big garden, although fenced, she can easily disappear from the trees and shrubs everywhere. She loves the afternoon walk picking up fallen flowers and grazing for dandelions.

 

[acrantophis]

Thanks Acantropis! My friend and I got our info off the Internet: If it's on the Internet, it's GOT to be true, right? NOT!!! Haha! Thanks for the correction!

No problem! I happen to be obsessed with the scientific classification. It's rare that my knowledge is actually useful ;-)

 

[yagyujubei]

The largest mustelids are the binturong, the wolverine and the honey badger.

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Actually, Binturongs are in Viverridae. Giant otters are Mustelids, though.

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[Tom]

A big one goes about 22-23 pounds, on rare occasion 25 pounds. Years ago when I was a teen we used to hunt them for their fur. That and it's just fun shooting things out of trees at night!

Awe... That's cute. You got little mini-coons back there. They can get 50-60 pounds out here. I heard of a record 73 pound male.

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Renj, you've got a real problem there. MOST of the time raccoons come out only at night, but in some circumstances, they will come out during the day too. A secure covered pen should be a priority for you. Even with the secure enclosure, I would still trap and "remove" the offending raccoons. They are just so smart, determined and capable...

Good luck.

 

[acrantophis]

Yikes! Your right binturongs are in the same family as civets. I stand corrected. I remember as a child a woman at the zoo had a binturong out on a leash and she told me they were related to skunks and ferrets. I just assumed it was true.

 

[yagyujubei]

I was at an exotic show about 15 years ago, and almost bought one. The are very different animals with a long prehensile tail. Odd smell though.

Yikes! Your right binturongs are in the same family as civets. I stand corrected. I remember as a child a woman at the zoo had a binturong out on a leash and she told me they were related to skunks and ferrets. I just assumed it was true.

 

[Jacqui]

Live catch trap and a .22. is the only effective way. You never really just have one. Mothers will bring the kids, next year, they will bring theirs. Before long, your house will be on the list of every raccoon around.

So glad you added the part about the .22, pleas DO NOT take and dump the coons some where else. It is not fair to them (in fact it is cruel), nor is it fair to the folks and animals living where you are thinking of dumping this trapped animal.

 

[Moozillion]

In our area of the country (south Louisiana) there seems to be a real boom in raccoon populations. A friend said she was told they're eating so many box turtle eggs that it's threatening that population.

 

[Nixxy]

A good thing to note is that chickenwire and things like that, are not going to do anything at all to stop raccoon, or even squirrels from getting in your pen.

Cute as the little buggers are, as I said, they are really destructive.

Up north in NH, we have some pretty huge ones. I've seen them at least around the 50 lb mark.

 

[dmmj]

I once saw one waddling along and I swear it looked like a 4 year old wearing a coon suit.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I realize people are concerned for their pets, but it troubles me to see how much contempt there is for raccoons here. As mentioned above, these animals are not rodents, they are carnivorans and related to dogs, bears, and cats. Moreover, they are native to North America, and have a place in its ecosystems. Other than those with native box turtles or Gopherus species, most of us here have exotic tortoises, not to mention exotic cats, ferrets, parrots, etc. I can't imagine exterminating native animals unless they are overpopulated, or if it's absolutely necessary.

Having said that, they are our pets. Furthermore, raccoons can be carriers of rabies, which is a potential threat to us and our animals. Therefore, prevention is worth a pound of cure. Prevent your tortoises from being injured or eaten by keeping them safely covered, or by housing them indoors. Protect yourselves by not leaving food out for the raccoons to scavenge. With these measures, we should be able to keep conflict to a minimum, and coexist peacefully with our neighbors.

 

[Nixxy]

I have no contempt for the 'coons. I absolutely love them, and they are one of my favorite animals. I think they are adorable.

I rarely seen coons in my yard if I don't leave the trash out, to be honest. And that is my fault, for doing such.

Be smart, eliminate reasons for them to come to your yard!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I have no contempt for the 'coons. I absolutely love them, and they are one of my favorite animals. I think they are adorable.

I rarely seen coons in my yard if I don't leave the trash out, to be honest. And that is my fault, for doing such.

Be smart, eliminate reasons for them to come to your yard!

Bingo!

 

[RedfootsRule]

The subject of raccoons is one that has always made me very angry. It is the indian/american situation all over again. Just as we're seeing in florida, as they develop homes further and further into the everglades, and the family that buys the house is just oh-so-surprised there is a gator in their pool! HELLO! Your in THEIR territory. They lived here LONG before us. Same story with raccoons. Humans encroach on their territory and think they have a right to trap and kill them. Even those humans that otherwise call themselves "animal lovers". Take the precautions if you don't want it to happen! Don't want your turtle/tortoise eaten? Wire in the cage securely, or bring it in at night.
People seem to get so angry and hateful towards raccoons when they lose an animal to them, but it's their fault. Lets put ourselves in the raccoons place. I'm hungry, searching for food, and I just found this tasty turtle just sitting there, so easy. Thats like a human walking through town, starving, and what do you know, someone offers to buy you lunch. Depending on who you are, do you say yes or no? So before you "get out your .22" think of the raccoon. Raccoon: "These strange creatures just moved into my territory...They're ripping out my trees and replacing them with houses. Let me go get out my .22"