The raccoon is a medium-sized mammal native to North America. As a result of escapes and deliberate introductions in the mid-20th century, raccoons are now also distributed across the European mainland, the Caucasus region and Japan. Their original habitats are deciduous and mixed forests, but due to their adaptability they have extended their range to mountainous areas, coastal marshes, and even urban areas, where some homeowners consider them pests. With a body length of 41 to 72 cm (16.1–28.0 in) and a weight of 3.6 to 9.0 kg (7.9–19.8 lb), the raccoon is the largest procyonid. The dense underfur, which insulates against cold weather, accounts for almost 90% of the raccoon's grayish coat. Two of its most distinctive features are its extremely dexterous front paws and its facial mask, which are also themes in the mythology of several Native American tribes. Raccoons are also noted for their intelligence; studies have shown that they are able to remember the solution to tasks up to three years later. Raccoons are omnivorous and usually nocturnal; their diet consists of about 40% invertebrates, 33% plant foods, and 27% vertebrates. Captive raccoons sometimes douse their food before eating it, which is most likely a vacuum activity imitating foraging at shores. After a gestation period of about 65 days, two to five young are born in spring. The kits are subsequently raised by their mother until dispersion in late fall. Although captive raccoons have been known to live over 20 years, their average life expectancy in the wild is only 1.8 to 3.1 years. Hunting and traffic accidents are the two most common causes of death in many areas.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

217 BC:

Syrian Wars: Forces under Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeated Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid Empire at the Battle of Raphia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Raphia

1911:

George V and Mary of Teck were crowned King and Queen of the United KIngdom at Westminster Abbey in London. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_V_of_the_United_Kingdom

1941:

World War II: As over 4.5 million Axis troops began their invasion of the Soviet Union, the Lithuanian Activist Front took the opportunity to start an uprising to liberate Lithuania from Soviet occupation and establish a new government. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Uprising_in_Lithuania

1978:

Working at the U.S. Naval Observatory, American astronomer James W. Christy discovered Charon , then considered the sole moon of Pluto. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charon_%28moon%29

1986:

Argentine footballer Diego Maradona scored both the "Hand of God goal" and the "Goal of the Century" against England during the quarter-final match of the FIFA World Cup in Mexico City. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina_v_England_%281986_FIFA_World_Cup_quarter-final%29

2002:

An earthquake measuring 6.5 Mw struck a region of northwestern Iran, killing at least 261 people and injuring 1,300 others, and eventually causing widespread public anger due to the slowness of the victims receiving aid and supplies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Bou%27in-Zahra_earthquake

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

ortolan (n): A small European migratory bunting, Emberiza hortulana, once eaten whole as a delicacy http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ortolan

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

This earth is one of the rare spots in the cosmos where mind has flowered. Man is a product of nearly three billion years of evolution, in whose person the evolutionary process has at last become conscious of itself and its possibilities. Whether he likes it or not, he is responsible for the whole further evolution of our planet. --Julian Huxley http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Julian_Huxley