Raccoon Scent Marking and Comparison with Bobcat
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are hardly ever the intended target species of my camera trapping endeavors because, as adaptable and abundant creatures, they show up almost anywhere, anyway. So, what I’ve learned about raccoon scent marking has been mostly (okay entirely) accidental. One type is very common: rubbing of the groin, anus, or belly, usually on rocky or woody protuberances. A description of this was first published in a 1982 report of scent marking in captive raccoons, and I’ve seen it a number times in trail camera videos. From the videos I cannot tell whether the animals are rubbing the lower abdomen, groin, or anus, but the authors of the 1982 report noted that this action left a brownish smear which was thought to be fecal material, so they called this behavior anal rubbing.
The video below was captured at a porcupine cave den in Massachusetts. Both raccoons and bobcats commonly appear at these dens, and they sometimes stop to scent mark. A bobcat shows up first in this video, and appears to spray the underside of the rock overhang. The second animal to appear is a raccoon, which demonstrates the anal (or groin or abdominal) rubbing.
The third animal in the video, another raccoon, does something else. Watch carefully to see it scrape or paddle with its hind feet. Isn’t it reminiscent of a bobcat scraping with hind feet? This scraping behavior of raccoons is not, to my knowledge, mentioned in tracking books or other literature but I’m almost certain I’ve seen it before on trail cam videos posted in my Facebook group (Trail Camera Photos and Videos). I cannot recall who posted it, unfortunately. If you have observed this behavior, please let me know in a comment below.
Funny thing: When we checked this camera there was, in front of the den, a scrape which looked like a bobcat scrape. There was no scat in it, and I did not take the time to photograph it or sniff for cat urine. Bobcat scrapes are common enough at these rock overhangs, so I assumed it was just another one of those. But, the only animal caught scraping by the camera was a raccoon. No bobcat scraping action was captured.
For anyone unfamiliar with bobcat scraping, I added two clips of it at the end of the video. Those examples occurred at another location and are included just for comparison. The first example is a quick and subtle scrape, while the second is more vigorous. The raccoon’s scraping behavior is comparable to the bobcat’s subtle scraping. But, so far, n = 1. We can’t generalize until we see more videos of scraping raccoons. Maybe raccoons sometimes scrape more vigorously.
I have several cameras targeting porcupine cave dens this winter, and will be watching carefully for raccoon scraping. I now wonder if some of the scrapes we assume to have been left by bobcats are actually the result of raccoon activity.
Related Posts
Bobcat Scent Marking
Sources
Ough, W. D. “Scent Marking by Captive Raccoons.” Journal of Mammalogy. 63 (1982): 318-319.
Raccoons doing their abdominal/groin/anal rubbing have shown up on my camera trap videos on numerous occasions. The third video in this post contains several of those clips as well as a long-tailed weasel doing the same — https://forestandfield.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-running-log.html
Hi Woody, thanks. I can’t view the videos now because I am away and have poor internet connection, but will view next week when I get home. It looks like the rubbing was done on a log bridge? That seems to be a common place for raccoons to do that, for some reason. I and others have also gotten that.
Do you have any videos showing the foot scraping/paddling? I shared this post in some facebook posts and in response, 3 people shared videos showing the same behavior! This seems to be common too, but sometimes it’s subtle and probably often not noticed.
I’ve never gotten videos of raccoons foot-padding (or at least I’ve never noticed it). Yes, it was on a log bridge, actually a fallen log spanning an old road.
Janet, I just reviewed a video of a raccoon that I got earlier this year and it clearly shows a raccoon foot-padding. That occurred immediately after the raccoon had rubbed its head, face and neck on a limb of a fallen snag.
Thanks, Woody. I apologize for the delay in response, but I had fallen way behind on some things and am just now catching up. That is really interesting – I am learning that this foot paddling is quite common among raccoons. I just got another video of it. I may contact you and a few other people at some point in the future about borrowing clips of this behavior to put together into a video montage. I don’t think it has been described before.
Thanks for sharing.
you’re welcome
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what does raccon pee smell like
..I have a huge ass one that comes on my porch an I have cat an kittens this thing is big an my cats r all nervous one has moved her kittens across street it has come in my trailer threw my cat door which the lock has been broken I have several main coons a large male …buck 50 I call him 2 mean mom cats an they r nervous but the one mom did start to stand up to him but I heard an went out I can’t afford getting my animals spayed an neutered barely can feed them an all the stays I’m on fixed income I think it’s living under my trailer what dies the pee smell like an it focus.. us it close to catpee smell an I know my cats r spraying because of the animal I know rats can put off smell like cat urine an it fads I’ve got to get handle on this I found a kitten under my bed w it’s head tore clean off an most it’s body there I’ve had a kitten come up missing an a momma cat what ever it knows when I’m gone or outside why I know it’s under my trailer last night it was on my porch where a mom cat an 3 kittens stay it was eating there cat food I went out an broke my broom over it but he walked slowly away an seemed mad help me …what does it smell like an it’s urine an how can I trap or where for free help
I do not know what raccoon urine smells like, and I advise you not to put your nose close to any animal excrement because urine and/or feces of some species can carry disease. Your situation is much more complex than I can possibly help with, other than to suggest you search for free and low cost spay/neuter programs in your state. Your state’s Humane Society chapter may sponsor one, and even if they don’t I contact them anyway because they may have helpful advice in general about the cats as well as the raccoons.
To add to raccoon marking behavior- I just posted some pics in your FB post here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1772913616156410/posts/2856532474461180/?comment_id=7183372428443808 of raccoons ‘neck rubbing’ on the bottom of a log. Have never noticed any foot scraping but will stay on the lookout.
Thank you so much!