Racoon

# 2 Seed

Adaptations

1. What are adaptations? Adaptations are what help the raccoon survive in difficult times when they have a chance of dying. Also they help the raccoon on what and how they catch and eat food to how they protect themselves against predators.
2. What are the physical adaptations that are made by a Raccoon? The main physical advantage of the Raccoon is an almost human like had structure. A raccoon's paws are like tin versions of human hands, making them capable of complex tasks. These paws help the animals search for food in hard to reach places and are also efficient for climbing almost anything that offers hand- holds. The Raccoon's solid body and bone structure are also beneficial for protection against falls. The animal is also capable of fast running speeds.
3. What are the behavioural adaptations of a Raccoon?During the winter when food is hard to find, the Raccoon does not hibernate but does sleep for extended periods when the weather is at its worst. The animal lives on fat reverses and can lose up to half of its body weight during these times. Raccoons are adaptable when it comes to finding a home and it will live anywhere such as a tree stump hollows.
4. What are the dietary adaptations of a Raccoon?The main reason for the Raccoon's success in thriving is the adaptability of its diet. Using its dexterous paws, the Raccoon is a sharp fishermen, snatching small fish and crayfish from rivers and streams. The Raccoon will eat whatever is plentiful in its range. Some areas fruits and plants make up most of the diet. In urban areas, where wild food is less common, the animals turn to humans for food, often raiding trash cans. The size of the animal and its dexterous fingers mean it can knock over the cans and even pull off the lids in search of food.
5. What is the Raccoon's defense against predators? Raccoons can hold their own against some predators, fighting off animals almost twice their size with fierce power of being able to grip stuff. Their main defense is avoiding most predators in its lifestyle. The ability to climb quickly also helps them escape ground- dwelling carnivores.

Endangered, Threatened, Extirpated and Extinct

1. What are endangered species? When an animal or plant species becomes so rare that it’s threatened with wiping out, it called an endangered species. Some species are endangered because of harsh environmental conditions, epidemic diseases, or other natural disasters.
2. What is extinction? Disappearance of every individual of a species from the entire planet. It takes a long time and events such as climate change, earthquakes, floods, and volcanic eruptions are what can cause them.
3. What is extirpation? Local extinction, which is, the disappearance of a species from a particular area. While that species is not found in that region, there are still populations of the species elsewhere on the planet.
4. What have humans done to almost endanger it?Humans are the major predator of the raccoon. They prize its fur and take between 2 and 4 million pelts annually in North America. As well, automobiles kill thousands of raccoons each year. Another major source of mortality is disease. Since 1983, several thousand raccoons have succumbed annually to rabies in the mid-Atlantic and southern United States. The disease is currently spreading north toward Canada. As well, thousands of raccoons die annually from canine distemper, particularly in eastern Canada and the United States. Parasites such as lice, fleas, and ticks are often found on raccoons, but do not appear to be a significant source of mortality.
5. How have raccoon still kept up with this change? As you can see there is a picture beside this text. This shows the range of raccoon in Canada. As you can see it covers up a lot of the space and so it’s considered a generalist. Since it’s a generalists it can live in many environments. So when humans destroy the raccoon habitat it can go live somewhere else. And this is what has happened and some raccoon have escaped in the cities. But since the raccoon can live in the cities it doesn’t give them a problem because they can use their adaptations to eat any food they want to eat. Usually they eat the leftover food that humans throw away or hunt the garbage cans for some. But the only reason they are surviving today is because of their adaptations.
6. How have humans impacted the raccoons abundance? A. Disease: Raccoon Rabies, is a fatal disease and is considered a viral infection. It is primarily transmitted through saliva via bite wounds, but can also spread if saliva comes into contact with an open wound, eyes, mouth or mucous membrane. It was first reported in Canada in eastern Ontario July 1999. It was next reported in New Brunswick during 2000, and in Quebec during 2006. In 2007, there were 59 cases of rabies reported in Canada, making it the third most infected animal of that year. Ontario and New Brunswick have controlled the disease with a variety of tactics including vaccination programs. However, currently, the disease is epizootic in Quebec with 58 cases being confirmed during 2007. This has caused many raccoons to die.
B. Predation by humans:Humans need all the fur from raccoons so they have hunted them for many years. Also raccoons annually die from car crashes. The fur really gets some money so we kill raccoons for that.
C. Habitat loss:Humans have expanded their cities so they have cut trees and have expanded into wildlife. This has caused many problems with the raccoon because that messed up how they live and what they do in there niche. This isn’t the biggest problem though because raccoons are generalists so it makes them very adaptable to different environments.

Raccoon's Niche

1. What is an ecological niche? It’s a place where an organism fits within its ecosystem. It includes where the organism lives and what role it plays within its habitat.
2. What factors play a role in determining the ecological niche? Competition plays a key role in determining the ecological niche of an organism. Plants and animals must share the food, water, and shelter resources in their ecosystem. The niche of an organism depends on the type and amount of resources available, and the type and number of competitors and predators in the area. Each species will have a distinct niche, although it may share some resources with other species. When one of the resources becomes less, the organism that depend on it will compete with each other for its use.
3. How can the niche change for organisms?Each organism has its specific niche in an ecosystem, the niche can change if the conditions change. Some species have a narrow niche and survive on a single food source. Plants and animals with a narrow niche are called specialists and have specific adaptations that help them survive under extreme conditions. Species with a wide niche are referred to as generalists.
4. What are variations within a niche? When competitive exclusion happens one species that coexist in the same ecosystem as another will always get out competed by the other. For similar organisms to coexist in an area, they must have different niches. But, sometimes some organisms can share a niche by taking advantage of different parts of their habits. This is resource partitioning and this type of variation ensures that all of the species have a better chance of living. But the narrower an organism's niche, the more fragile it’s existence. While an organism with a wider niche could feed off of several food sources.
5. What is the Ecological Niche for Raccoons so what do they eat? Raccoons eat fish, clams, crayfish, berries, fruits, plants, nuts, insects, squirrels, mice, gophers, frogs, eggs, rodents, rats, and small mammals. The diet of the animal is usually at night, consists of about 40% invertebrates, 33% plant foods, and 27% vertebrates.
6. Who are they eaten by and how do they help the environment? They are eaten by wolves, coyotes, domestic dogs, bobcats, foxes, and pumas. They help the environment by spreading plant seeds. Seeds from plants get stuck in the fur of the Raccoon, and eventually get brushed off. These seeds are then pushed back into the Earth, and are able to grow in a new area. Their tropic level is an omnivore.

Specialists or Generalists?

1. What are Specialists? Some species are specialists and survive on a single food source. Plants and animals with narrow niches are called specialists and have specific adaptations that help them survive in extreme conditions.
2. What are Generalists? Some species are generalists and survive on many food sources and environments. Plants and animals with a broad niche are called generalists.
3. What are Raccoons; Specialists or Generalists? Raccoons are generalists so they can live in many different types of environments, and have a varied diet. They are generalists because their range extends throughout North & Central America. They are omnivores that can thrive on many different foods. It’s this ability to be successful in a variety of different environments that has enabled that raccoon to maintain large population sizes.

Genetic Variations

1. What is Genetic Variation? Genetic variation is a term used to describe the variation in the DNA sequence in each of our genomes. Genetic variation is what makes us all unique, whether in terms of hair colour, skin colour or even the shape of our faces.
2. What is variation within species and how does it work?Individuals in specific species have common structural characteristics and reproduce only with each other. However, variations in features within a species do occur. Each individual can have slight differences like legs or color.
3. How does variation within species go to variation amongst species? When a group of animals are physically separated from one another, the group starts to develop unique characteristics, and eventually, they are classified as separate species.
4. What is the variation amongst species and how does it occur? Different species share common characteristics among each other. They are capable of reproduction involving two individuals is called sexual reproduction and results in genetic variation. Variation is each trait is caused by mutation of genes, gene flow (Migration), and sexual reproduction.
5. How does mutation cause variation of spices? Mutation occurs when a genetic error has been made, resulting in a change in an organism’s traits. Most mutations are the result of random errors in the copying of the genetic code. Others are a cause of environmental damage, such as radiation or harsh chemicals. It occurs randomly, introducing more variation into a population’s gene pool.
6. How does Migration cause variation of species? When organisms from one population migrate into another population, they may bring genetic variants that are new to the existing population. The greater amount of migration, the greater the amount of variation in the population’s gene pool.
7. How does Sexual Reproduction cause variation of species? It occurs when two different organisms contribute genes to their offspring. New combinations of genes are produced when genes are shuffled during gamete formation and when genes are reshuffled when the genes of two organisms combine during fertilization to produce offspring. It increases variation in a population.
8. What is Discrete variation and how does it occur?They are differences that are distinct and which have no intermediate forms. They are controlled by one gene and that's how they occur. Ex. Straight thumb and Curved thumb.
9. What is Continuous variation and how does it occur? Continuous variation is when there is a range in phenotype. Ex. Human traits of height, weight, & span show continuous variation. It occurs when a trait is controlled by several genes. The phenotype that is expressed is a mixture of the output of several genes. It can also be shown through the environment because the environment can modify the phenotype to show a broad range of variations.
10. How did Genetic Variation affect the Raccoon so it can survive in the environment? Through genetic variation Raccoons have adapted dexterous paws to be a sharp fishermen. They snatch small fish and crayfish from rivers and streams. Some areas fruits and plants make up most of the diet. In urban areas, where wild food is less common, the animals turn to humans for food, often raiding trash cans. The size of the animal and its dexterous fingers mean it can knock over the cans and even pull off the lids in search of food. The Raccoon's solid body and bone structure are also beneficial for protection against falls. The animal is also capable of fast running speeds. Through these Raccoons have been successful in surviving.

Changes in the Environment

1. How did Raccoons change to the environment? They have adapted by eating any food in their range. This is because in the Urban areas there is a lack of food for the Raccoon so it's hard for them to find food. So if there is a garbage full of stuff to eat then the Raccoon will eat it to survive. So if there is a change in environment for them then it’s very easy for them to adapt to different types of food. This lack of food can be caused by humans because they remove habitats and food sources for animals. But the raccoons can eat anything so its very easy for them to survive.

Prey

1. What are some of the defenses the raccoon has to protect itself from other predators? They have human like paws which help them fight against predators. Also they can run really fast so they can escape predators really fast.
2. Who eats the raccoon? They are eaten by wolves, coyotes, domestic dogs, bobcats, foxes, and pumas.

Predations

1. What types of strategies does the raccoon use to eat other animals? Using its dexterous paws, the raccoon is a sharp fishermen, snatching small fish and crayfish from rivers and streams. It also uses it's paws to knock down trash cans in the urban areas.
2. What does the raccoon eat? Raccoons eat fish, clams, crayfish, berries, fruits, plants, nuts, insects, squirrels, mice, gophers, frogs, eggs, rodents, rats, and small mammals. The diet of the animal is usually at night, consists of about 40% invertebrates, 33% plant foods, and 27% vertebrates.

Global Strategies

26. What efforts are humans undertaking to help preserve raccoon diversity?Raccoon population in Alberta has been rising. This is because the adaptability skills the raccoons have so they can live very easily unless someone tries to kill them or they are eaten.

Symbiosis Relationships

1. What is Commensalism and how does it work in relationship between organisms?It’s a relationship in which one organism benefits from its relationship with another. The other organism is neither helped nor harmed by the first organisms.
2. What is Mutualism and how does it work in relationships between organisms? It’s a relationship in which both organisms benefit by being close to the other.
3. What is Parasitism and how does it work in relationships between organisms? A relationship in which one organism (the parasite) feeds off another organism (the host) in order to live, harming host.
4. What relationship does the raccoon live off of? The raccoon and the poison ivy have a mutualism relationship. The raccoon eats the berries of the poison ivy and disperses the seeds as it poops. So both benefit.

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