Raccoons have a base color of grey to brown, with a black mask over their eyes and black rings along their bushy tails. They typically have a white fur lining the mask on their face. They also have a black stripe that runs down the middle of their face, separating their mask. They have black paws, each with five toes used for climbing and grasping. They reach weights of 4.9 to 5 kg.

Racoons are opportunistic feeders, their diet is made up of invertebrates, vertebrates, and plant material. Occasionally they will go after larger prey like birds or small mammals. Racoons are curiously known for the behavior of “dousing” or dipping their food into water before consuming it. This is where their species epithet “lotor” comes from, meaning “Washer”.