Se sabe que los mapaches son criaturas increíblemente adaptables. Si bien tienen sus hábitats preferidos, son uno de los pocos animales que han podido adaptarse a la urbanización. Mientras puedan encontrar comida y un lugar para mantenerse calientes y escondidos, no les importa dónde termine estableciéndose su granja.
Los mapaches también son muy ingeniosos, y debido a sus dietas variadas, pueden hacer que casi cualquier entorno sea adecuado para ellos. Son capaces de comer una gran cantidad de diferentes tipos de alimentos que pueden encontrar en múltiples climas y en diferentes terrenos.
Los mapaches se pueden encontrar en una variedad de hábitats en toda América del Norte. Se pueden encontrar en áreas boscosas, áreas aisladas en parques e incluso en todas las ciudades. También son fanáticos de las tierras de cultivo, debido al aislamiento y las amplias fuentes de alimentos disponibles.
Con la capacidad del mapache para adaptarse a diferentes entornos, han podido extenderse por toda América del Norte y otras áreas del mundo. Una vez que solo un par de ellos han podido entrar en la naturaleza, pueden extenderse y repoblar, convirtiendo un pequeño avistamiento en una infestación potencial.
¿De dónde vienen originalmente los mapaches?
Los mapaches son en realidad nativos de las zonas tropicales de América del Sur y Central. Disfrutaron del clima moderado, así como de amplias oportunidades para encontrar comida y refugio. Originalmente prosperaron en áreas con una combinación de árboles y áreas para excavar dentro y cuerpos de agua como pantanos, ríos o lagos.
Estas áreas les permitieron crear hogares dentro de árboles o madrigueras hechas por otros animales que podían mantenerse aislados y calientes durante el día cuando duermen, y en el invierno, donde a menudo hibernan para mantenerse calientes.
Lograron dispersarse a lo largo de otras áreas de América del Norte, incluidos climas más fríos donde descubrieron que podían hacer hogares en graneros y otros edificios.
¿Solo hay mapaches en Estados Unidos?
Los mapaches se han extendido por países fuera de América, tanto a través de la migración natural como a través de la intervención humana. Los mapaches se hicieron muy populares en países fuera de América del Norte por su piel, mientras que algunos también apreciaron su capacidad para eliminar potencialmente otras plagas.
Por lo tanto, muchos países tomaron mapaches de América a sus países con la esperanza de poder cazarlos por su piel y, a veces, por su carne. Sin embargo, muchos de los mapaches no pudieron ser contenidos, lo que los llevó a convertirse en elementos permanentes en algunos de estos países.
¿Qué estados de EE.UU. tienen mapaches?
La mayoría de los estados de los Estados Unidos tienen una población de mapaches, aunque algunos estados tienen más que otros. Del mismo modo, hay algunos estados que no han visto mapaches convertirlos en su hogar. Algunos de los estados con poblaciones más prominentes de mapaches se enumeran a continuación.
Alaska
Los mapaches no emigraron a Alaska, pero fueron traídos al estado en la década de 1930 para ser cazados por piel. A pesar de que a los mapaches no les gusta el frío, han podido adaptarse al duro clima del estado.
Minnesota
Los mapaches son algo nuevos en Minnesota, ya que solo fueron vistos alrededor del siglo 19. También hay una temporada de caza de mapaches que el estado regula.
Pensilvania
Pensilvania tiene muchas áreas aisladas diferentes para que los mapaches llamen hogar. Estas áreas también tienen mucha agua, lo que hace que los mapaches estén muy felices.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island es pequeño, pero es el lugar perfecto para que los mapaches disfruten. Rhode Island es también el hogar de muchos otros pequeños roedores y animales.
Míchigan
Con la abundancia de ríos, bosques y pastizales en Michigan, junto con toda la vegetación y pequeñas criaturas para que los mapaches coman, no es de extrañar que los mapaches sean grandes fanáticos de Michigan.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma tiene lo que se considera un clima subtropical. Esto es ideal para los mapaches, que disfrutan de vivir en todo el estado. Oklahoma también es el hogar de muchos insectos para que coman mapaches, así como algunos de sus peces favoritos.
Texas
A pesar de que Texas puede calentarse bastante, los mapaches todavía disfrutan de su tiempo allí, estando dispersos por todo el estado. A los mapaches en Texas les gusta permanecer cerca del agua para mantenerse lo suficientemente hidratados como para combatir el calor.
California
Raccoons are pretty widespread throughout the state of California. California even has its own raccoon with the state’s namesake, and it’s quite large with a very dark mask.
South Dakota
South Dakota has a lot of pine tree forests that allow for raccoons to set up shop (raccoons are great climbers), so they could be found plentifully throughout the state.
Vermont
Vermont has raccoons living in some of the forests and farmlands throughout the state. Being that the state is overrun with forested spaces, it’s no wonder raccoons love the state.
Virginia
Virginia is a pretty diverse state with different climates and landscapes. Some of these have raccoons that can be found making dens to live in.
Tennessee
Tennessee has ample space for raccoons to live and thrive in, such as parks and forests and tree-filled spaces. The raccoon is also known as the state animal.
Minnesota
Minnesota has a lot of animals within its state, including raccoons. There are some very large forested areas in Minnesota, which are the perfect habitats for solitary raccoons.
Wisconsin
The wetlands and the woodlands of Wisconsin are definitely enjoyed by raccoons among other species. Thankfully there are many places for them to stay hidden during the day, being that many of their predators live in Wisconsin as well.
Arizona
There have been some sightings of raccoons in Arizona, although those sightings are sparse. Raccoons aren’t a big fan of how little water there is in the hot state.
Wyoming
Wyoming has some sparsely populated areas, and raccoons will opt for staying there so they don’t have to run into too many people.
New Hampshire
Raccoons can be found throughout New Hampshire, and have made homes in both urban and rural spots in the state. They are also sometimes trapped and hunted for their fur.
North Dakota
Raccoons can be found in some of the forested regions and grasslands in North Dakota. Raccoons probably also enjoy that North Dakota isn’t overcrowded with too many people.
Kentucky
Kentucky has a unique disbursement of terrains, including mountainous areas, forests, and rivers. It’s the perfect state for raccoons to thrive, and thus it’s no surprise they live throughout the state.
Nebraska
Nebraska has some diverse areas within the state, including wetlands and forested areas. The raccoon enjoys being in Nebraska, as do a lot of its preferred food sources and small creatures for them to hunt.
D.C.
Raccoons can be found in different areas throughout D.C. They enjoy the amount of forests and trees, as well the opportunity to set up camp near small bodies of water.
Georgia
Raccoons enjoy the forested areas in the state of Georgia. While many consider raccoons to be dangerous, they are comparatively some of the tamest animals you’ll find in the state.
Missouri
Missouri has some forests and water sources that raccoons enjoy, so they’ve set up home in quite a few different areas throughout the state.
Hawaii
Hawaii is the ideal place for raccoons, so it’s no surprise that they’ve found a home in the sunny state as well. Once again, they can enjoy a diverse menu of foods they love from marine life to bugs and lots of fruits and vegetation.
The raccoon is, however, considered an invasive species in the island state, and local authorities do their best to limit the spread of raccoons due to their potentially damaging effect on the local ecosystem.
North Carolina
North Carolina has a lot of insects, fish, and amphibians, all of which raccoons like. There’s a lot of interesting wildlife to see throughout North Carolina, and that includes raccoons as well.
South Carolina
South Carolina is home to the Hilton Head raccoon, who loves living off the coast of South Carolina. These raccoons are also scattered throughout other parts of the state, but enjoy the coast the most.
This raccoon is gray with a yellow patch on its back and has a prominent mask on its face.
Ohio
Ohio has quite a few sources of water sprinkled throughout the state, making perfect areas for raccoons to live, find shelter, and feed.
Indiana
Indiana has some wetland areas that raccoons are quite fond of. They also have some gorgeous state parks that raccoons love, and there are plenty of food sources spread throughout Indiana for the raccoon to feast on.
Maryland
Raccoons live throughout the state of Maryland, and it’s also legal to hunt raccoons in some areas of the state. That being said, the practice is regulated to ensure that the animals aren’t wiped out or hunted in a wasteful manner.
There is also a particular species of raccoon that enjoys living in Maryland. This raccoon, known as the Chesapeake Bay raccoon, has darker fur. It also loves hanging out by Maryland marshes and scooping up marine life to eat.
Delaware
Delaware has its fair share of animals, including raccoons. There are lots of water sources and some vast forested areas in the small state, which is perfect for raccoons to enjoy.
Delaware also has its own population of the Chesapeake Bay raccoon, as it’s the case with Maryland.
Florida
It’s no surprise that Florida is a favorite for raccoons. There are so many different food sources that raccoons can find in Florida, and plenty of areas for them to make a home far away from the bustle of busy cities.
Florida also has some of its own unique subspecies of raccoons in different areas of the state. Some of these include Matecumbe Bay raccoon that enjoys Miami’s Key Largo islands and the Key Vaca raccoon that likes the southern area of Florida.
Which States Have The Most Raccoons?
States situated in the Eastern part of the United States have a bounty of ideal lodging locations for raccoons. The climate is pretty stable, and there are lots of wooded areas with bodies of water that make for a raccoon’s ideal habitat. They are able to stay secluded, make dens high up in trees, and grab a bunch of nutritious food options from the nearby water.
Texas would be one state that has a lot of raccoons that are widely dispersed throughout the state. The raccoons in Texas are also some of the largest found in the United States, with some being over 50 pounds.
Are There States That Don’t Have Raccoons?
There are a few states in America that raccoons aren’t particularly fond of. These states fall along the southern part of the United States and include Utah and Nevada. Given that raccoons prefer areas that have ample sources of water for both hydration and food, these states aren’t ideal for raccoons to thrive.
Conversely, raccoons have not been able to make homes in the Rocky Mountains, especially high up. This is partially because there aren’t ample food sources available. Raccoons also don’t enjoy cold climates, so they will refrain from setting up camp in permanently cold areas.
Are There Raccoons In Canada?
Raccoons are pretty widespread throughout the majority of Canada. They don’t tend to gravitate towards the northern territories in Canada as much, being that they aren’t fans of the cold. They tend to hibernate in winter and store fat in order to insulate their bodies in the colder months.
Raccoons can be found throughout most of the provinces in Canada, including Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia. They are also in southern and central Saskatchewan, and the Maritimes provinces.
With Canada offering an abundance of forested areas with ample sources of water, as well as a lot of farms and cities, there are a plethora of places in Canada that raccoons can safely call home and thrive in.
Raccoons have also been able to adapt to being near humans and navigating through cities, so they can be found wandering throughout various cities in Canada, especially at night.
Are There Raccoons In South America?
Raccoons can be found in some areas of South America. They tend to gravitate towards the northern countries within the continent, as they prefer the climate in those regions. In South America, raccoons tend to stick to the northern regions of the continent as the climate is more suitable to their preferences.
Various countries in South America also see species of raccoons that aren’t found anywhere else, as raccoons have several cousins and close relatives within their family. The crab-eating raccoon, for example, loves South America for its bounty of crabs and other aquatic life.
Raccoons like South America for its warm climate, as well as the food sources available to them. While raccoons aren’t picky about what they eat, they enjoy places where finding food to eat doesn’t require a lot of effort.
Why Are Raccoons Sometimes Considered An Invasive Species?
While raccoons don’t intend to be destructive, they can be in their quest for survival. Thus, many countries around the world consider raccoons to be pests or invasive species. While each country handles this in its own way, most would agree that raccoons can cause a lot of damage.
A raccoon can leave behind a lot of destruction in their wake in many ways, including in gardens, animal nests, farms, forests, and even in urban areas with dumpsters and garbage cans that they can access easily. When enjoying a meal or creating a shelter, raccoons aren’t concerned with the mess they leave behind.
Where Have Raccoons Been Introduced Into The Wild?
Raccoons have not been intentionally introduced into the wild unless there was the intention to hunt these small populations for fur and meat. However, raccoons are pretty smart creatures, and they have managed to escape captivity and make homes in the wild.
Raccoons did not originally live in Europe but were brought there in the early 1900s. The intention was to allow for raccoons to procreate throughout the Soviet Union, in the hopes that they could eventually be hunted and used for their fur.
Germany has also had a very interesting history with raccoons, where they have been let out into the wild several times for different purposes, many of which included being able to hunt the raccoons at a later time for fur or meat. The population of raccoons in Germany has become much larger than the country has been able to handle.
In Which European Countries Are There Raccoons?
Raccoons were never native to Europe, but being that Europe enjoyed raccoon fur, they were brought to some European countries. While there was a hope to control the spread of raccoons throughout Europe, the control was not successful.
Some countries have been able to eradicate their small population of raccoons, but some countries still have them.
Germany
Germany has seen a dramatic increase in its population of raccoons since introducing them into their country several decades ago. They are now considered pests in Germany and are heavily hunted in an attempt to decrease their destruction.
Russia
Rusia y la antigua Unión Soviética trajeron mapaches y los dejaron vagar por la naturaleza para cazar y ser cazados. Sin embargo, la población se salió de control, y Rusia todavía está lidiando con una gran cantidad de mapaches en la naturaleza hoy en día.
Escocia
Escocia estaba alborotada cuando vieron mapaches viviendo en la naturaleza hace unos años. Los mapaches también han podido escapar de los parques de vida silvestre en Escocia antes, ya que el país trata de controlar cualquier mapache que esté en el país a través de la contención.
Otros países de Europa que han visto un mapache ocasional incluyen:
Francia
Dinamarca
Austria
Suiza
República Checa
Hungría
Suecia
Eslovenia
Algunos países europeos han podido erradicar mapaches que eran nativos de sus países; algunos lo hicieron hace siglos, y otros lo hicieron recientemente. Por ejemplo, España tenía sus propias especies de mapaches viviendo allí, pero los eliminaron en la década de 1500. En Barbados, hubo mapaches hasta la década de 1960, donde se extinguieron.
¿Hay mapaches en Asia?
Los perros mapaches, que son parientes del mapache, son nativos de Asia. Estos animales se parecen mucho a los mapaches, y corren riesgos similares de propagación de parásitos y virus. Estos perros mapaches han sido traídos a Europa y algunas áreas de los Estados Unidos también, aunque no son tan prominentes en los Estados Unidos.
Los mapaches no eran nativos de Japón, pero muchos fueron traídos a Japón para ser mantenidos como mascotas en la década de 1970. Este movimiento fue inspirado por un anime muy popular en ese momento, conocido como Rascal the Racoon, que resultó en que muchas personas en Japón quisieran tener mapaches como mascotas.
Sin embargo, muchos de los mapaches pudieron escapar de la domesticación y se dispersaron por todo Japón, procreando y adaptándose al país. Desde entonces, se han convertido en una molestia para Japón, dado que pueden ser tan destructivos al establecer hábitats y obtener comidas.
Un mapache también pudo hacer autostop a la India a través de un contenedor de envío, y posteriormente fue llevado a un zoológico en la India para que pudiera ser contenido.
Los mapaches también han sido vistos al azar en todo Irán y Azerbaiyán.
¿Hay mapaches en Australia?
Si bien Australia es el hogar de algunos animales muy interesantes, no se han encontrado mapaches en el continente. No parece haber habido ningún esfuerzo para traer mapaches a Australia, ya que tienen suficientes animales extraños y peludos y no tienen interés en verlos en zoológicos o usarlos para pieles.
¿Hay mapaches en África?
Los mapaches no son nativos de África, y no hubo migración natural a África. Sin embargo, ha habido casos de personas que mantienen mapaches como mascotas ilegales, que no terminaron bien.
Por ejemplo, había mapaches mantenidos como mascotas ilegales en Sudáfrica, y estos mapaches lograron escapar. Por lo tanto, pudieron hacer hogares en la naturaleza y, por lo tanto, pudieron poblar. Si bien los mapaches no se ven en la naturaleza muy a menudo en Sudáfrica debido a esto, no es imposible tropezar con uno.
En toda África, hay varios animales que se parecen a los mapaches y animales que pueden ser tan molestos y adaptables como los mapaches, pero por lo demás, no se ven realmente en África.
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