Raccoon Development
-Duration of Development: 54-70 days in the womb, about one year to reach sexual maturity (1), expected to live 2-3 years in the wild, although in captivity it can live up to 20 years. (2)
-Typical # of offspring: 2-5 kits
-Parental care? yes
-Typical # of offspring: 2-5 kits
-Parental care? yes
Stages of Development
The stages of a raccoons development start from "a Birth weight of about 60 - 75 g, cubs may reach (based on data from two hand-reared cubs) nearly 200g by one week of age, 455g (1 lb) by 19 days, 681g by 40 days and 908 g (2.0 lb) by 50 days. Raccoons are weaned at about eight to sixteen weeks of age. Once weaned, cubs can gain nearly a kilogram per month and can reach 7.0 kg by their first autumn; full growth is not reached until the second autumn, or even later. Males may grow faster than females in their first year. Raccoon cubs start walking at about four to six weeks old and by eight to twelve weeks are travelling with their mother while she forages." And Lastly "By four or five months they may be separating from their mother and denning separately, although the family often reunites to den together for the winter." (3)
(1)http://raccoons911.com/Biology.html
(2)http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/raccoon-nation/raccoon-fact-sheet/7553/
(3)http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/0MCarnivor/Procyonidae/Procyon/Procyon_lotor/07PlotorLifePhys.htm
(2)http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/raccoon-nation/raccoon-fact-sheet/7553/
(3)http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/0MCarnivor/Procyonidae/Procyon/Procyon_lotor/07PlotorLifePhys.htm