You Talking to Us?
by Kym Backland
Title
You Talking to Us?
Artist
Kym Backland
Medium
Photograph
Description
This is the raccoon that was shunned as a baby, now she is a Mother. This Mother doesn't let the baby out of her sight for a minute. They both have sort of strange eyes. Not sure what their story is. They just have each other. I haven't seen these two in a while now. I wonder where they go, and what they are doing. Anyways.. The Mother has those penetrating eyes.
Here are a few of those "pesky" facts about these masked bandits..
Raccoons are very agile. They climb trees well, moving forward or backward on their way up or down the tree. They are one of few animals which can descend a tree headfirst. They can also drop, unharmed, 35 to 40 feet. They are fast runners (15 mph) and excellent swimmers. If cornered, raccoons are ferocious fighters. Raccoons are also know for their excellent night vision and keen sense of hearing.Young raccoons are preyed upon by foxes, bobcats, owls, and eagles, but they most commonly die from automobiles. Bandit-masked raccoons are a familiar sight just about everywhere, because they will eat just about anything. These ubiquitous mammals are found in forests, marshes, prairies, and even in cities. They are adaptable and use their dexterous front paws and long fingers to find and feast on a wide variety of fare. In the natural world, raccoons snare a lot of their meals in the water. These nocturnal foragers use lightning-quick paws to grab crayfish, frogs, and other aquatic creatures. On land, they pluck mice and insects from their hiding places and raid nests for tasty eggs. Raccoons also eat fruit and plants—including those grown in human gardens and farms. They will even open garbage cans to dine on the contents.
These ring-tailed animals are equally opportunistic when it comes to choosing a denning site. They may inhabit a tree hole, fallen log, or a house's attic. Females have one to seven cubs in early summer. The young raccoons often spend the first two months or so of their lives high in a tree hole. Later, mother and children move to the ground when the cubs begin to explore on their own.
Raccoons in the northern parts of their range gorge themselves in spring and summer to store up body fat. They then spend much of the winter asleep in a den. There are six other species of raccoons, in addition to the familiar northern (North American) raccoon. Most other species live on tropical islands
Uploaded
July 28th, 2013
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Viewed 206 Times - Last Visitor from White Plains, NY on 03/28/2024 at 3:03 PM
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Comments (28)
Dagmar Helbig
Kim, congrats on your nomination in Members Choice Artist at Life is What happens - and also for this cute looking two!! VF - Dagmar
Alec Drake
Congratulations Kym! You are our new Members Choice Artist at Life Is What Happens; you were nominated by Sabine Edrissi. This is a delightful capture from your series of Raccoons. v/f
Kym Backland replied:
Alec Drake, Oh my! I feel I'm blushing! That is so nice to be Nominated.. I need to thank sweet Sabine! Thank you Alec for all you do for the group..and for having these awards, I guess you would call it that? Thanks~
Phyllis Kaltenbach
LOL! I love them! V/F
Kym Backland replied:
Phyllis, Hello my friend! Happy Friday night to you! I'm so excited ordering "Take out" Dinner tonight.. whoo hooo no cooking! Yipeee!
Kym Backland
MARIOLA BITNER, Happy Wednesday to you my friend! Thank you for the multiple features today! I appreciate the feature of my photo YOU TALKING TO US? In your group OUR 4-LEGGED FRIENDS! This is the best name for a group! As soon as I think to add a bird or a seal, I think to myself.. (Oh yes, only four legs) and that answers that question! Thanks again Mariola!
Inge Riis McDonald
LOL, Kim you must have a whole bunch of them close to home. I am really enjoying your photos of them:)
Jenny Rainbow
Oh, Kym, you've got another one! How cute this small guy! Love their wonderful faces and expression!
Kym Backland replied:
Jenny, Thanks, They are very active and rooting around the place! thanks for your comments!
Kym Backland
EVERETT HICKAM, Happy First Sunday of August to you! Thank you for the feature my little feller's photo YOU TALKING TO US? in your wonderful group WHY NOT GROUP..I appreciate it Everett!
Kym Backland
JAY MILO, Happy First Day of August to you! Thank you for the feature my little feller's photo YOU TALKING TO US? in your wonderful group AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHERS.. I appreciate it Jay!
Kym Backland
KLAAS HARTZ, Happy Hump Day! Thank you for the feature my little feller's photo YOU TALKING TO US? in your wonderful group SMALL SHOWROOM.. I appreciate it Klaas!
Kym Backland
JOE MCCLELLAN, Thank you for the feature my little feller's photo YOU TALKING TO US? in your wonderful group EXCELLENT SELF-TAUGHT ARTISTS.. I appreciate it Joe!
Eti Reid
You talking to us? We know nothing for the stolen cheesecake ...yeah:) Love them coons of yours, I bet you have a secret to make them pose like this dear Kym!f/v/tw
Jane Small
Kym,is it unusual do you know for raccoons to be so friendly to humans? I can't think of any wild animals here that would venture so close up time and again. Over time squirrels can become tame and even eat out of a person's hand but it takes a lot of patience.Foxes come up quite close, but not in the same way as these furry friends of yours. I imagine it has to be something about you that they sense as we said before.They know they are safe and welcome! Also,I'm curious how you know which is which ! I suppose it's like having identical twins,you soon recognize the differences! Just love your raccoon repertoire ! v/f
Kym Backland replied:
Jane, No I didn't know that about raccoons. They have lived in these woods for years and years, and I guess they just feel safe here. But it's far from safe, Eagles, Coyotes, Dogs. Thanks for your novella notes and your interesting comment Jane!