Raccoons are some of the most adaptable animals in North America. These masked bandits can survive almost anywhere because they’ll eat just about anything. Whether you live in the city or the countryside, chances are you’ve seen these clever creatures rummaging through trash cans or raiding bird feeders at night.
Understanding what raccoons eat helps homeowners protect their property and gardens. It also helps wildlife watchers appreciate how these smart animals have learned to thrive alongside humans. Let’s take a closer look at the fascinating diet of raccoons and learn why they’re such successful survivors.
1. Fish and Water Animals Are Their Favorites
The preferred raccoon diet consists of food found in or near water, such as crayfish, frogs, fish, snails, and clams. When people ask what raccoons like to eat most, aquatic animals top the list. These water-loving creatures make up a huge part of what wild raccoons eat every day.
Raccoons like seafood. They fish for clams, crawfish, frogs, snails, snakes, and fish. Their dexterous front paws work like tiny hands, perfect for catching slippery prey in shallow water. Raccoons are excellent swimmers and can stay in the water for several hours while hunting.
Fish is a big part of their diet, especially for those living near water bodies such as rivers, lakes, and marshes. This is why you’ll often find raccoons near streams, ponds, and wetlands. They’ve learned that water areas provide the most reliable food sources.
The reason raccoons eat so many water animals is simple: these creatures are easier to catch than fast-moving land animals. Crayfish, frogs, and small fish can’t run away as quickly as rabbits or squirrels. Plus, water animals are packed with protein that helps raccoons stay healthy and strong.
What makes raccoons such good water hunters? Their front paws become even more sensitive when wet. This helps them feel around in murky water to find hidden prey like clams buried in mud or frogs hiding under rocks.
2. Bugs and Creepy Crawlies Make Great Snacks
Invertebrates like insects, grubs, snails, and earthworms are staples of a raccoon diet. In fact, raccoon diets consist of about 40% invertebrates, 33% plant material and 27% vertebrates. This means bugs and similar creatures make up the biggest part of what raccoons eat.
In spring and early summer, raccoons prioritize protein-rich foods like insects and small animals. During these warmer months, raccoons eat beetles, grubs, crickets, grasshoppers, and earthworms. They’ll dig into rotting logs and turn over rocks to find these tasty treats.
Grubs are especially popular because they’re full of fat and protein. These soft, white larvae live in the soil and inside dead wood. Raccoons can smell them underground and will dig small holes in lawns to get to them. This is why homeowners sometimes find small divots in their yards after raccoons visit at night.
Slugs and snails are easy targets because they move slowly. Raccoons simply pick them up and eat them, shell and all in the case of snails. These slimy creatures come out at night, making them perfect prey for nocturnal raccoons.
The reason raccoons eat so many insects is that they’re everywhere and easy to find. Unlike larger animals that might fight back or run away, bugs are simple to catch and provide good nutrition. A single raccoon can eat hundreds of insects in one night.
3. Sweet Fruits and Juicy Berries
Some of their favorite fruits include apples, grapes, cherries, peaches, plums, and berries. When fruit trees are loaded with ripe produce, raccoons eat these sweet treats with enthusiasm. In late summer and autumn, their focus shifts to fruits, berries, nuts, and grains.
Wild berries like blackberries, raspberries, and elderberries are raccoon favorites. These small fruits are packed with sugar that gives raccoons quick energy. Plus, berries are usually easy to reach since they grow on bushes rather than high in trees.
Raccoons are known to feast on apples, cherries, grapes, and wild berries, which are their primary food source during the summer and fall. Backyard fruit trees often become raccoon magnets. Apple trees, cherry trees, and grapevines can attract entire families of raccoons.
What raccoons like to eat most depends on what’s ripe and available. In summer, they might focus on early berries and stone fruits. By fall, apples and late-season grapes become more appealing. Raccoons have learned to time their feeding with when fruits are at their sweetest.
Raccoons actually help plants by eating their fruits. Seeds pass through the raccoon’s digestive system and get deposited in new locations through their droppings. This helps forests and wild areas spread and grow, making raccoons important for the ecosystem.
The sugar in fruits also helps raccoons build up fat reserves for winter. Since they don’t hibernate completely, they need stored energy to survive cold months when food becomes scarce.
4. Nuts and Seeds for Winter Fuel
Common plant-based foods include acorns, beechnuts, corn, wild grapes, cherries, and apples. In autumn, raccoons consume acorns, walnuts, and other nuts to build up fat reserves for winter. These high-fat foods are crucial for raccoon survival during cold months.
In the summer, they feed upon the greatest variety of foods, including meat, fruits, nuts, acorns, walnuts, and sometimes even corn. But as fall arrives, nuts become increasingly important. Raccoons spend more time collecting and eating these calorie-dense foods.
Acorns are probably the most important nuts for raccoons. Oak trees produce massive crops of acorns every few years, and raccoons take full advantage. They’ll gather acorns and sometimes bury them for later, though they’re not as good at remembering hiding spots as squirrels.
Walnuts, hickory nuts, and beechnuts are also valuable food sources. Raccoons use their strong teeth to crack open hard shells. Their dexterous paws help them pick out the nutmeat inside.
The reason raccoons eat so many nuts in fall is simple: they need to gain weight before winter. By the late autumn, raccoons will need to have built up a sufficient amount of fat for the lean winter months. Nuts provide more calories per bite than almost any other food.
Seeds from sunflowers, maple trees, and other plants also make good raccoon food. Bird feeders filled with sunflower seeds often attract raccoons, much to homeowners’ frustration. The high oil content in seeds provides energy and helps raccoons maintain their thick fur coats.
5. Small Animals When the Opportunity Strikes
They hunt small mammals like mice, voles, shrews, and rabbits. They have also been known to take bird eggs and young birds from nests. However, raccoons are not experts at hunting prey, but they do manage to occasionally catch a young mouse, rat or squirrel.
Raccoons are not active hunters of large prey, preferring food that is easier to catch or scavenge. They’re much better at finding food than chasing it down. Most of the small animals raccoons eat are young, sick, or caught by surprise.
Bird eggs are especially appealing because they can’t run away. Raccoons are excellent climbers and can reach nests in trees or on the ground. Duck eggs, chicken eggs, and wild bird eggs all make good raccoon meals. The shells provide calcium while the contents give protein and fat.
Baby birds that haven’t learned to fly yet are also vulnerable. Raccoons might raid robin nests, duck nests, or chicken coops if they get the chance. This is why farmers often have trouble with raccoons getting into their poultry areas.
Small rodents like mice and young rats sometimes get caught when they’re out in the open. Raccoons don’t actively hunt like cats do, but if they stumble across a slow-moving or injured animal, they won’t pass up the meal.
The main thing to understand is that raccoons are opportunists, not predators. They’ll eat small animals when it’s easy, but they don’t spend much time or energy chasing prey. It’s much easier to find insects, fruits, or human food scraps.
6. Garden Vegetables and Crops
Raccoons are notorious for raiding gardens for corn, tomatoes, and other vegetables. Sweet corn is probably the vegetable that raccoons eat most often. They can smell ripe corn from far away and will travel considerable distances to get to it.
Any root vegetables like carrots are another vegetable raccoons will eat, especially if they come across them in gardens. Carrots, potatoes, and other root crops are easy targets because raccoons can dig them up with their strong claws.
Raccoons are known to eat pumpkins, especially during the fall when these vegetables are abundant. Pumpkin seeds are particularly nutritious, full of healthy oils and minerals. Many people find their Halloween pumpkins eaten by raccoons if left outside too long.
Tomatoes, peppers, and squash are also popular garden targets. Raccoons seem to know exactly when vegetables are at their ripest and most flavorful. They often take just a bite or two from multiple tomatoes, which is especially frustrating for gardeners.
What raccoons like to eat from gardens depends on what’s available and ripe. In early summer, they might focus on leafy greens and young plants. By mid-summer, tomatoes and corn become the main targets. Fall brings pumpkins, winter squash, and root vegetables.
The reason raccoons are such successful garden raiders is their intelligence and dexterity. They can figure out how to get around most barriers and their paws work like tiny hands to pick vegetables. They also learn quickly, so once they find a good garden, they’ll keep coming back.
7. City Food and Human Leftovers
In cities and suburbs, the raccoon diet shifts dramatically towards resources provided, intentionally or unintentionally, by humans. Discarded human food in garbage cans and dumpsters is a common source for urban raccoons. This change in diet has made raccoons incredibly successful in urban areas.
Studies suggest that urban raccoons with greater access to human food waste may be heavier and exhibit higher blood glucose levels compared to their wild counterparts. City raccoons often weigh more than wild raccoons because human food is higher in calories and easier to find.
Trash cans provide a smorgasbord of options for urban raccoons. Pizza crusts, leftover sandwiches, fruit peels, and meat scraps all make good raccoon food. These smart animals have learned to open garbage can lids and even work together to tip over heavy containers.
Pet food left outside is another major attraction. Dry dog food and cat food are especially appealing because they’re designed to be nutritious and tasty. Once raccoons find a reliable source of pet food, they’ll return night after night.
Bird feeders also attract raccoons to urban yards. Sunflower seeds, suet, and other birdseed provide high-energy food that raccoons love. Many raccoons have learned to manipulate bird feeders to get all the seeds to fall out.
The problem with urban food sources is that they’re not as nutritious as natural foods. Processed human food can make raccoons sick over time, and it doesn’t provide the variety of nutrients they need to stay healthy. However, the abundance and ease of finding city food often outweighs these health concerns for urban raccoons.
How Raccoon Diets Change with the Seasons
Seasonal changes in the raccoon diet are quite common. In the spring, raccoons might enjoy feasting on fruit, berries or insects, while in the winter their diet leans more towards meat and eggs. Understanding these seasonal patterns helps explain why raccoons show up in different places throughout the year.
Spring brings fresh plant growth and emerging insects. Raccoons eat new shoots, early berries, and lots of bugs during this time. Bird nesting season also provides opportunities for egg raids. Spring is a time of recovery after the lean winter months.
Summer is when raccoons eat the most variety of foods. Fruits ripen, insects are abundant, and water sources are full of frogs and fish. This is when raccoons build up their strength and young raccoons learn to forage. Gardens and fruit trees become major targets.
As the fall sweeps into full force, raccoons switch into overdrive in order to store enough food for the colder months. Fall is all about building fat reserves. Raccoons eat nuts, late fruits, and any high-calorie foods they can find. They may gain significant weight during this season.
In all, a raccoon can lose about 14 to 50 percent of its body weight during the winter season. Winter is the hardest time for raccoons. Food becomes scarce, so they rely on stored body fat and whatever they can scavenge. Urban raccoons have an advantage because human food sources remain available.
The seasonal changes in diet show how adaptable raccoons are. They’ve learned to take advantage of whatever food is most abundant at different times of year. This flexibility is a major reason why raccoons have been so successful across North America.
Wild Raccoons And City Raccoons Eat Differently
Research published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology found that rural raccoons had a diet composition of 60% plant matter, 30% animal matter, and 10% human-related food. This shows that wild raccoons still eat mostly natural foods, with only a small portion coming from human sources.
This easy access to food often leads to higher raccoon population densities in urban areas compared to wild ones. Cities can support more raccoons per square mile because there’s simply more food available, even if it’s not always the healthiest option.
Wild raccoons work harder for their meals. They spend their nights foraging along streams, digging for grubs, and climbing trees for fruits. Their diet changes more dramatically with the seasons because they depend entirely on what nature provides.
Urban raccoons also tend to be more social due to the competitive nature of scavenging in a densely populated area, often foraging in groups. City raccoons sometimes work together to get into garbage cans or bird feeders, while wild raccoons usually eat alone.
City raccoons also stay active during different hours. While wild raccoons are strictly nocturnal, urban raccoons sometimes come out during the day when they know food sources are available. They’ve learned human schedules and adapted their behavior accordingly.
The main difference is reliability. Urban food sources like garbage and pet food are available every day, while natural food sources vary by season and weather. This consistency allows urban raccoons to spend less energy searching for food and more energy reproducing and surviving.
Foods That Can Make Raccoons Sick or Worse
Onions, garlic, and chocolate are all harmful to raccoons, just like they are to dogs and cats. Raisins, chocolate, macadamia nuts are all toxic to raccoons. These foods can cause serious health problems or even death in raccoons.
Milk chocolate and dark chocolate both contain caffeine and theobromine, and these compounds are indigestible and can cause the animal’s kidneys to shut down. Even small amounts of chocolate can make raccoons very sick. The darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is.
Negative reactions of raccoons eating these foods include vomiting, diarrhea, elevated heart rate, seizures, and death. Coffee and anything with caffeine cause similar problems because raccoons can’t process these stimulants like humans can.
Onions and garlic contain compounds that destroy red blood cells in raccoons. This can cause anemia and weakness. Even small amounts of onion powder or garlic powder in processed foods can be harmful over time.
Raisins and grapes are especially dangerous, though the reason isn’t fully understood. These fruits can cause kidney failure in raccoons, just like they do in dogs. Interestingly, fresh grapes seem to be less dangerous than dried raisins.
Other foods to avoid include alcohol, avocados, macadamia nuts, and moldy or spoiled food. Cow’s milk can also cause digestive problems in raccoons because they can’t properly digest lactose.
The important thing to remember is that raccoons will eat these dangerous foods if they find them. They don’t know what’s bad for them, so it’s up to humans to keep toxic foods secured in raccoon-proof containers.
Baby Raccoons Learn What to Eat
Baby raccoons primarily rely on their mother’s milk for nourishment during the first few weeks of life. It typically takes about 16 weeks for them to be fully weaned. During this long period, young raccoons gradually learn what foods are safe and how to find them.
Once they can eat solid food, baby raccoons are also not very picky with their diets. Once the kits weigh about 1 kg (2 lb), they begin to eat outside the den, consuming solid food for the first time after six to nine weeks.
Mother raccoons teach their babies by example. Young raccoons watch their mother forage and try to copy her actions. They learn which foods are good by watching what she eats and avoiding what she avoids.
The first solid foods baby raccoons eat are usually soft items like berries, insects, and small pieces of whatever their mother finds. Their teeth and digestive systems aren’t fully developed yet, so they need easy-to-digest foods.
By about four months old, young raccoons are fully weaned and can survive on their own. However, many stay with their mother through their first winter to continue learning survival skills. This extended family time helps ensure the young raccoons know how to find food in different seasons.
Young raccoons are naturally curious and will try to eat almost anything. This can be dangerous if they encounter toxic foods or get into human garbage. Mother raccoons work hard to keep their babies safe while teaching them to be independent foragers.
The learning process is crucial because raccoons don’t have instinctive knowledge about all food sources. Each generation must learn from the previous one, which is why raccoons in different areas often have different feeding habits and preferences.
