Steering clear of the places where raccoons 'go'
- John Lorson: The Rail Trail Naturalist
- February 12, 2025
- 115
On a recent walk-around of a potential stream restoration site, I lagged behind the crowd for a moment to discretely grab a quick photo. When one of my fellow travelers caught me aiming my camera toward the base of an old oak at the edge of the high bank separating the streambed from the surrounding woodland, she asked what “neat thing” had caught my eye.
“Well, I’m not so sure I’d use ‘neat’ in this particular instance,” I laughed. “I’m actually photographing a raccoon latrine!”
I went on to explain that one of my co-workers was presently preparing a lesson on animal tracks and “scat” or droppings and that she was back at the office at that very moment, ordering a plastic replica of what I’d found here in great abundance.
“Maybe you should grab a plastic bag and save your colleague a couple of bucks,” she said. While she was kidding, of course, the moment did inspire the following lesson.
Raccoons, like a handful of other mammals, have an interesting habit of sharing a common latrine, often at the base of a large tree, stump, boulder or other such landmark. It’s not some innate sense of cleanliness and order that drives the practice, but rather it’s more of a community bulletin board where an exchange of information takes place.
While the privy-sharing raccoons easily sniff out messages about their neighbors through hormone-laced droppings — territory, reproductive status, current dietary choices — other animals can learn a thing or two as well, most notably, to stay clear of the immediate area if they wish to avoid interacting with raccoons.
The practice does have a downside for the bandit-masked participants as common parasites abound in the feces and soil nearby including a particularly pernicious intestinal roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) and the bacteria that causes leptospirosis, a flu-like illness that can develop into a life-threatening disease.
Good news for forest neighbors is the scent signature of a latrine can be read from a safe distance, and many animals avoid infection inadvertently by steering clear. Your dog may have different ideas about this, however, so if you’ve noted a latrine spot in your ramblings, it’s a great idea to keep him well away from the area. Not only can your pup come into dangerous contact with these diseases, but also he can carry them straight back to you on his paws.
Maybe an upside for those who travel the woods and waterways of raccoon territory is that in seeking common ground to do their business, the critters actually limit the spreading of their mess (and worse) all over the place.
If you have comments on this column or questions about the natural world, write The Rail Trail Naturalist, P.O. Box 170, Fredericksburg, OH 44627, or email jlorson@alonovus.com. You also can follow along on Instagram @railtrailnaturalist.