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August 28, 2019- by Steven E. Greer, MD
Fascinating. The normally reliable raccoon has been absent for a week or so. I thought it got bored or killed.
It turns out that it is a female, and she had a cub. The cub is old enough now to walk around with the mother foraging. (Raccoons are close cousins to panda bears, dogs, skunk, and walrus)
Gestation takes 65-days. Then, another six to nine-weeks is required before the cubs can leave the den. This means that this cub was conceived probably in early May, which is when I moved here.
https://youtu.be/jZNMaPEXBmw
That explains why I initially captured on video two raccoons. One was larger, so it was the male. Male raccoons are deadbeat dads and have nothing to do with raising the young. Thus, I have never seen him again.
If this cub is a female, it will stay close to home. If it is a male, it will travel up to 20-miles away.
Meanwhile, the nocturnal flying squirrel is missing and has been replaced by a normal day squirrel.