Friday's Foto

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Raccoon (a.k.a Northern Raccoon) is one of the most widespread and abundant mammal species in the state. Somehow I've never managed to post a photo of one for "Friday's Foto" before today. They ubiquity is due to their extreme adaptability, being found everywhere from remote woodlands to crowded urban centers and eating nearly anything. The NYSDEC website states, "densities in rural areas may be 20 - 40 raccoons per square mile, raccoon densities in some developed parts of the State (e.g. Long Island) may exceed 100 per square mile." Despite their cute appearance, they make terrible pets (plus it is illegal to keep them). Their scientific name, Procyon lotor, means "before-dog washer". You can watch the PBS Nature documentary "Raccoon Nation" here.