Raccoons Washing Food at Gendulceblog Blog


Raccoons Washing Food. They’ll often dip their food into the same body of water they use as a latrine (communal toilet). Web no, raccoons are not really washing their food when they dunk it in water.

Common raccoon (Procyon lotor) washing food in water of stream
Common raccoon (Procyon lotor) washing food in water of stream from www.alamy.com

Exploring the origins of the behavior. The instinctual behavior theory suggests that raccoons wash their food as an innate, natural behavior that is passed. Another theory suggests a more straightforward reason:

Common raccoon (Procyon lotor) washing food in water of stream

In fact, their scientific name, procyon lotor, literally means washing bear. For example, the food items that were arguably the ones in most need of washing, earthworms, weren’t washed at all! Web no, raccoons are not really washing their food when they dunk it in water. Raccoons aren’t exactly the most hygienic animals;