Raccoons climbing trees at night is a common sight, but have you ever wondered why they do it? If you’re curious about the reasons behind this nocturnal behavior, read on for a deep dive into the world of raccoons after dark.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Raccoons climb trees at night to sleep safely away from predators, forage for food, and travel unseen across the landscape.
In this approximately 3000 word article, we’ll explore the fascinating details around why raccoons take to the trees under the cover of darkness. We’ll look at the key reasons like sleeping, eating, and traveling from the perspective of raccoon behavior and biology.
Raccoons Sleep in Trees to Stay Safe from Predators
Ground Dwelling Makes Raccoons Vulnerable
Raccoons are primarily nocturnal creatures that sleep during the day. This makes them vulnerable to larger daytime predators like coyotes, foxes, bobcats, and dogs if they sleep on the ground. Without the protection of darkness, raccoons would be easily spotted and more likely attacked (1).
Staying in a tree during daylight hours helps raccoons remain hidden from predators.
Trees Provide Protection from Predators
Nesting in trees about 15-30 feet above ground puts raccoons out of reach of most predators (2). They are adept climbers and can quickly scramble up a tree for safety when threatened. Trees provide a physical barrier between raccoons and ground predators.
Even if detected by predators, raccoons can escape danger by climbing higher or moving to adjacent trees using their dexterous paws and limbs.
Raccoons Choose Forked Branches to Make Nests
Raccoons don’t build enclosed nests or dens in trees like squirrels or birds. They simply make beds by pressing down leaves and twigs where two or more branches fork and provide a nook. The smaller branches and leaves conceal them while larger branches offer support.
By choosing forked branches, raccoons create nest sites protected from wind and rain (3).
Mother Raccoons Teach Young to Climb and Nest in Trees
Baby raccoons, called kits, stay in their mother’s den for 8-10 weeks after birth. Then the mother raccoon carries them by the scruff of their necks one by one and climbs a tree. She teaches them to climb safely and identifies suitable nesting spots in forked branches.
Young raccoons initially stay close to their mother in the same tree for safety. As they mature, juvenile raccoons begin sleeping on their own in nearby trees (4).
Foraging in Trees Helps Raccoons Access Food
Raccoons Eat Tree Nuts and Fruit
Raccoons are omnivorous mammals that eat a wide variety of foods. One of their favorite foods to forage for at night are tree nuts and fruits. Trees like oak, hickory, walnut, chestnut, and beech produce hard-shelled nuts that raccoons adeptly crack open with their nimble front paws.
Raccoons also have a sweet tooth and enjoy feasting on fruits like persimmons, apples, plums, and cherries plucked from trees. Fruit trees provide a bountiful buffet for these nocturnal critters.
Trees Contain Insects, Bird Eggs, and Small Prey
In addition to plant foods, raccoons forage in trees at night to find animal protein. Trees provide excellent hunting grounds for insects, bird eggs, and other small prey. Raccoons use their sensitive front paws to feel for larvae and bugs hiding in tree bark crevices.
They raid songbird nests for eggs and hatchlings, supplementing their diet with these high-protein snacks. Squirrels, mice, and other tree-dwelling mammals are also on the menu when raccoons can capture them among the branches.
Raccoons Have Excellent Climbing Skills to Reach Food
Raccoons are remarkably adept climbers, which allows them to access food sources high up in trees. They have dexterous front paws like hands that enable them to grasp branches. Their hind feet can rotate 180 degrees, helping them securely grip trees as they climb up, down, or headfirst.
Raccoons can scale trees that are smooth, rough, slanted, or vertical with impressive agility. mothers even teach their young kits how to climb effectively. Thanks to these excellent climbing skills, raccoons can reach food like nuts, fruit, and prey along the trunk, on branches, or in nests at tree tops up to 30 feet high!
Sensitive Front Paws Help Raccoons Find Food in Trees
A raccoon’s front paws are highly sensitive and play an important role in helping it locate food in trees at night. Raccoons have hairless, rubbery pads on their paws that allow them to feel textures very effectively. Their dexterous fingers are protected by claws that can grasp tree bark.
These nimble, sensitive paws can reach into crevices and feel for hiding insects, Larva, or fruit. They can also manipulate and open hard nuts or fragile eggs very adeptly. A raccoon’s amazing tactile front paws, along with its excellent climbing ability, make trees a virtual supermarket for these clever foragers after dark.
Tree Canopy Offers Discreet Travel for Raccoons
Raccoons Want to Avoid Being Seen
Raccoons are primarily nocturnal animals that prefer to go about their business without being seen. When they leave the safety of their dens at night to forage for food, having the protective cover of tree canopies overhead allows them to move around while staying hidden in the shadows (1).
This helps them avoid detection from potential predators like coyotes, foxes, and dogs.
In addition, the tree canopy provides concealment so raccoons can sneak up on their prey more effectively. Whether they are hunting for frogs, birds’ eggs, or other small critters to eat, traveling through the trees under the cloak of darkness gives them an advantage.
Jumping Between Trees Allows Undetected Movement
Raccoons are incredibly agile and can nimbly jump from branch to branch and between trees. Their dexterous front paws allow them to grasp limbs securely, and they can leapHorizontal distances of over 40 feet have been recorded!
This tree-hopping ability enables them to cover a wide territory quietly and without drawing attention. They can quickly escape signs of danger by retreating deeper into the woods using the trees almost like a secret passageway.
Without touching the ground, raccoons are able to access new areas while avoiding detection.
Climbing Down Trees Provides Escape When Startled
If a raccoon gets startled while traveling through the trees, it can rapidly scamper down the trunk to make a quick getaway. With their claws providing an excellent grip, raccoons have little trouble swiftly descending even large trees like oaks and maples.
And once they reach the bottom, a raccoon won’t hesitate to run on all fours or hide in an available burrow. So having trees to climb up and down provides raccoons with an easy evacuation route if they sense potential threats.
Soft Paws Muffle Sounds of Tree Travel
A raccoon’s paws have soft cushions that help minimize noise as they trot through the tree branches. This allows them to sneak up on prey more successfully and avoid detection from predators or humans that may be passing by (2).
In addition, the textured pads on a raccoon’s feet provide excellent traction as they walk along limbs and climb up and down trunks. So their special paws allow for quieter, stealthier movement through the canopy.
Other Benefits of Nighttime Tree Climbing
Cooler Temperatures in Trees
Raccoons often climb trees at night to take advantage of the cooler temperatures found higher up (Source). As the sun goes down, the ground retains some of the heat from the day, while the trees do not hold the warmth as much.
Seeking respite from summer heat waves is one reason raccoons scale trees after dark. The Journal of Wildlife Management reported a 5°C difference between ground and tree canopy temperatures on hot nights. Raccoons take advantage of this cooler air to regulate their body temperature.
Better View from Height of Trees
Another explanation for the nightly tree adventures of raccoons is the vantage point it gives them to survey their territory and watch for predators or food opportunities (Source). With their sharp vision, raccoons can gaze across the landscape from their treetop perch and spot potential threats or interesting sites to explore later.
Researchers believe this lookout behavior also helps young raccoons learn the landscape and remember good foraging locations.
Trees Provide Latrine Sites
Raccoons lack true territories, but they do have core areas where they spend most of their time. Within these areas, they designate certain trees as communal latrines. All the raccoons in that locality will return to the same trees again and again to defecate (Source).
Often these latrine trees are tall oaks, dead snags, or other prominent trees easy to spot in the habitat. Using latrines is part of the species’ communication system, allowing individuals to gather information on who lives in their shared home range.
Trees Offer Playground for Young Raccoons
Mother raccoons often have their dens inside hollow tree cavities, so trees become natural playgrounds for the kits. The young raccoons venture out on the branches at about two months old, learning to climb and develop coordination while under their mothers’ watchful gaze (Source).
Playing chase with siblings around the tree trunks and along the limbs is an important part of their early development and education in their climbing lifestyle. Trees offer enriching stimuli and exercise for curious young minds and bodies as the kits prepare for independence.
Conclusion
As we’ve explored, raccoons have many good reasons to head up trees when the sun goes down. Sleeping, eating, traveling, and more – the vertical world of the forest offers raccoons safety and resources they can’t find on the ground alone.
The next time you spot a raccoon silhouetted against the night sky in the upper branches of a tree, take a moment to appreciate the key role trees play in their daily rhythms. While we sleep soundly in our beds, raccoons are conducting their busy nocturnal lives far overhead!
