Procyonids are members of the family Procyonidae, a clade of small to medium-sized carnivoran mammals within the order Carnivora, superfamily Musteloidea, that includes raccoons (Procyon), coatis (Nasua, Nasuella), kinkajous (Potos), ringtails and cacomistles (Bassariscus), and olingos and olinguito (Bassaricyon). They are predominantly omnivorous, with dentitions and gastrointestinal tracts adapted to flexible diets, and exhibit diverse locomotor and ecological specializations ranging from arboreal to terrestrial niches. Procyonids are primarily New World taxa, important in studies of adaptive radiation, behavioral ecology, and musteloid phylogeny, and they often function as mesopredators and seed dispersers in their ecosystems.
The urban monkeys in New Delhi are so bold they'll steal the lunch right off your plate. If you've spent time in New York, you've probably seen squirrels try to do the same. Sydney's white ibises got the nickname "bin chickens" ...
Ecology
Apr 8, 2026
0
9
Although neighborhood cats may seem like a fun, charming presence, unowned cat populations have been criticized for causing harm to a community and its environment. Without proper management, stray cat populations can rise ...
Veterinary medicine
Apr 2, 2026
0
63
Ever woken up to find that a crafty raccoon has overturned your garbage bin and spread the discarded contents of your life across the street? Raccoons—sometimes referred to as "trash pandas"—are renowned as excellent innovators ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 28, 2026
0
66
They raid compost bins, outsmart latches and sometimes look gleeful doing it. A new study in Animal Behaviour suggests raccoons may not just be opportunistic—they may be genuinely curious.
Plants & Animals
Mar 9, 2026
1
245
Mammals are not especially diverse. Roughly 6,800 mammal species are known to exist, compared with about 8,800 species of amphibian, 11,000 species of bird and 12,500 of reptile. Yet when most people picture biodiversity, ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 6, 2026
0
74
When a curious raccoon broke into an Ashland, Virginia, liquor store in December 2025, sampled the stock and passed out on the bathroom floor, the story went viral within minutes. The local animal shelter's Facebook post ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 19, 2026
0
47
While the spread of raccoons in Europe is often discussed, their companion tends to remain unnoticed: The raccoon roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis arrived in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century with the first raccoons ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 19, 2025
0
21
A new study led by researchers from Saint Louis University, the Saint Louis Zoo, and partner organizations recently set out to understand how raccoons use space in one of the nation's largest urban parks.
Plants & Animals
Dec 11, 2025
0
192
