The Guadeloupe raccoon (Procyon lotor minor) is a common raccoon subspecies.
Compared to an average-sized raccoon, the Guadeloupe raccoon is small and has a delicate skull. Its coat is dark gray, with a slight ocher tint on the neck and shoulders. On the underparts, only a few guard hairs cover the light brown ground hairs. Raccoons have short legs compared to their compact torso, they are usually not able either to run quickly or jump great distances. For climbing down a tree headfirst - an unusual ability for a mammal of its size - a raccoon rotates its hind feet so they are pointing backward. Raccoons have a dual cooling system to regulate their temperature; that is, they are able to both sweat and pant for heat dissipation. The most important sense for the raccoon is its sense of touch. The "hyper sensitive" front paws are protected by a thin horny layer that becomes pliable when wet. The five digits of the paws have no webbing between them, which is unusual for a carnivoran. Raccoons are able to identify objects before touching them with vibrissae located above their sharp, nonretractable claws.
This subspecies is found on the two main islands (Basse-Terre Island and Grande-Terre) of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles where these animals inhabit tropical rainforest and mangrove forests.
Little information is known about the habits of Guadeloupe raccoons. In general, raccoons were previously thought to be generally solitary, however, there is now evidence that these animals engage in sex-specific social behavior. Related females often share a common area, while unrelated males live together in groups of up to 4 individuals, in order to maintain their positions against foreign males during the mating season, and other potential invaders. Raccoons are usually nocturnal, but they are sometimes active in daylight to take advantage of available food sources. They don't travel further than necessary, only as far as they need to in order to find food. Raccoons prefer to build their dens in trees, but will also use woodchuck burrows, mines, caves, deserted buildings, garages, barns, rain sewers, or houses. They are strong swimmers, although somewhat reluctant ones, because swimming makes them heavier, as their fur is not waterproof. Raccoons can swim with an average speed of about 5 km/h (3.1 mph) and can stay in the water for several hours. In order to communicate with each other raccoons make a range of noises including hisses, screams, whistles, growls, and snarls.
Raccoons are omnivores. They eat fruits, plants, nuts, berries, rodents, frogs, eggs, insects, crayfish, amphibians, and bird eggs. In an urban setting, they will sift through garbage for food. Most of their diet is invertebrates and plants.
Information about the reproductive behavior of Guadeloupe raccoons is scarce. Generally, raccoons have a polygynandrous (promiscuous) mating system meaning that both the males and the females have multiple mates. During the breeding season, males often extend their territory, presumably to encompass the home ranges of potential mates. Raccoons usually breed from February to June. Following a gestation period of about 2 months, the female gives birth to 4-5 kits or cubs. From about 20 weeks old the young forage with their mother during the night and remain living in her den. Weaning occurs at about 70 days. In the fall, after their mother has shown them dens and feeding grounds, the juvenile group splits up. While many young females will stay close to the home range of their mother, young males can sometimes move more than 20 km (12 mi) away.
The Guadeloupe raccoon suffers from the destruction of its habitat, mangrove forests, and the rainforest, on Guadeloupe. Furthermore, it is threatened by the reported introduction of the Crab-eating raccoon. The Guadeloupe raccoon has been chosen as an emblematic species for the Guadeloupe National Park, but it may face extinction without additional conservation efforts.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Guadeloupe raccoon total population size. In 1996, this subspecies was classified as endangered by the IUCN because its population number of less than 2,500 mature individuals has continued to decline.
