Procyon lotor
D. Gordon E. Robertson · Ottawa
Procyon lotor is a mammal in the raccoon family. It was introduced to Georgia and has become established there. It is especially well known in Kakheti; its main features are a black “mask” near the eyes and a ringed tail. It is not venomous, but it may bite people, so do not touch it. Nyctereutes procyonoides is a different species.
Identification
It is a medium-sized animal with short legs. It eats both plants and animals. It has a black, mask-like marking on its face, a pointed snout and a bushy tail with several dark rings. It was introduced to Georgia.
The head and body together measure about 40–70 cm, and the tail 20–40 cm. It often weighs about 4–9 kg. Males are usually slightly larger than females.
It is grayish brown or yellowish gray, often with a pale belly. It has a black “mask” with a white border around its eyes. Its tail usually has 4–7 dark rings and a dark tip. Each front paw has five long toes. Its claws do not retract. Its ears are relatively small, and its snout is pointed.
Meles canescens is native to Georgia. It has a heavier build and lengthwise black and white stripes on its head rather than a mask-like marking. Its tail is short and has no rings. Nyctereutes procyonoides was introduced to Georgia. It has shorter legs and a mask-like marking on its face, but no rings on its tail.
Raccoons often live in forests and riverside woodland near water, but also enter gardens and the edges of settlements. There is no document recording their release in Georgia; they probably spread from Azerbaijan. Records from around Lagodekhi date back to the 1950s. In Kakheti, they are known from Lagodekhi, the Alazani Valley and Gombori. They also appear in photographs and camera recordings from Kvemo Kartli and the area around Tbilisi National Park. There are also reports from the coast of Abkhazia; possible traces found in Adjara have not yet been confirmed as raccoon traces.
The raccoon map uses public iNaturalist photo observations in Georgia. Regions come from the records-by-region table: only confirmed status counts as distribution; otherwise a region is not treated as part of the range. Points outside the regional polygons stay in the total but are not assigned to a region. Record counts reflect observation effort, not population density.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
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It eats both animal and plant foods: animals without backbones, frogs, fish, birds’ eggs and chicks, fruit and hazelnuts. It also eats food scraps near settlements. In Georgia, local residents say it damages crops and poultry, though the extent of the damage has not been assessed.
Related guides
This species was introduced to Georgia and has become established, especially in the east of the country. It is native to North and Central America.
It is found in Kakheti, for example near Lagodekhi, in the Alazani Valley and on Gombori. There are also photographs and recordings from automatic cameras in Kvemo Kartli and around Tbilisi National Park. The species has also been reported on the coast of Abkhazia.
It has a black mask-like marking on its face, a ringed tail, short legs and front paws that resemble hands. A badger has lengthwise stripes and a short tail; a raccoon dog does not have a ringed tail.
The head and body together measure about 40–70 cm, and the tail 20–40 cm. It often weighs around 4–9 kg.
It eats both animals and plants, including animals without backbones, frogs, bird eggs, fruit and food scraps.
It is mainly active at night and at dusk, though it may also appear during the day. It moves less in winter but does not truly hibernate.
It is not venomous, but it may bite you. Do not touch it. If it bites you, wash the wound with soap and running water and seek medical attention immediately.
It is not on Georgia’s 2014 Red List. In Georgia, it is considered an introduced species that spreads and harms the local environment. Its risk of extinction worldwide is low.
References
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
