Female raccoons resting in cozy dens, are anticipating the arrival of their newborn cubs. In approximately 63 days they will give birth. There could be as many as seven cubs or as few as one.
When they are born, the cubs will have just a wee bit of fur, they will weigh close to two ounces, and their length will be about four inches.
For the first two days of their lives, their mother will stay with them. Then she will leave to feed herself, but only for an hour or two. During this time she will stay close to the den.
In two to three weeks the masks and tail rings will start to become apparent, and shortly after their eyes and ear canals will start to open.
The cubs will crawl and walk around 4-6 weeks and will soon be climbing. They will follow their mother to forage for food between 2-3 months. They will be weaned before they reach 16 weeks of age, and will start to become more independent, foraging on their own.
As winter approaches, mother and her young may share a den for communal warmth. The following Spring, the cubs will disperse.
But right now, they are just a pleasant thought, a responsibility. A test of every mother's skill to teach what she has learned to her progeny.
When they are born, the cubs will have just a wee bit of fur, they will weigh close to two ounces, and their length will be about four inches.
For the first two days of their lives, their mother will stay with them. Then she will leave to feed herself, but only for an hour or two. During this time she will stay close to the den.
In two to three weeks the masks and tail rings will start to become apparent, and shortly after their eyes and ear canals will start to open.
The cubs will crawl and walk around 4-6 weeks and will soon be climbing. They will follow their mother to forage for food between 2-3 months. They will be weaned before they reach 16 weeks of age, and will start to become more independent, foraging on their own.
As winter approaches, mother and her young may share a den for communal warmth. The following Spring, the cubs will disperse.
But right now, they are just a pleasant thought, a responsibility. A test of every mother's skill to teach what she has learned to her progeny.
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