Citation. Turkowski, F. J.; Mech, L. D. 1968. Radio-tracking the movements of a young male raccoon. Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science 35(1):33-38.   [1563  CC]

Abstract. Movements of a young male raccoon (Procyon lotor) were studied for four months in 1965 through the use of an automatic radio-tracking system. Data for 135 days were collected, and 2,065 locations were recorded. The study animal usually rested throughout the day at different sites. Nightly activity usually began within an hour before or after sunset and ceased within an hour before or after sunrise; the mean duration of the active period was 9 hours and 5 minutes (S.E.=l9 minutes). Nightly movements varied both in extent and areas visited. The raccoon visited a certain cornfield on 87 percent of the nights, but shifted the intensity of his use of various areas and continued to try new areas through most of the four-month study period. The greatest length of two-week activity ranges varied from 4,620 to 8,514 feet, and that of the total range was 9,240 feet.

Keywords. raccoon, Procyon lotor, radiotelemetry, activity