One of the most amazing and shocking things that you may not know about raccoons is that they wash their hands and their food before eating it and this is why!
Raccoons have a tendency when water is available to dunk and dip their food into the water and roll it around in their hands as if they were washing it before they eat.
Raccoons do this type of behavior because unlike humans, raccoons do not depend on their eyesight to help discover and uncover new things. Instead raccoons depend on using touch to help find out certain information about a specific subject.
When a raccoon touches an object, it is able to uncover close to two-thirds of that object’s sensory information. As a result raccoons are able to manipulate, hold and interpret objects the same as humans.
Raccoons have 4 to 5 times more mechanoreceptors than most mammals and are able to use the nerve endings in their paws to help find information about a certian object.
Not only is the behavior unique within itself, it also helps the environment too!
Raccoons help to spread seeds and fertilize plants when they wash their food around a certain area. Some scientists believe that raccoons were an important part in helping plants and their seeds disperse throughout the entire United States.
I hope that you all enjoyed this unique and fun little fact about Raccoons! These masked little bandits are always into something but I think they have also won alot of hearts too!
I photographed this little darling in the mountains of North Georgia.
Gracie Latrelle 
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