A study on raccoon densities across four land cover types in the southeastern United States revealed significant differences in raccoon population densities based on habitat.
The study conducted in the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, assessed raccoon movements and densities in bottomland hardwood forests, riparian forests, and upland pine forests.
Bottomland Hardwood Forests and Riparian Forests: These habitats had higher raccoon densities due to abundant resources such as water and suitable trees for denning.
Raccoons in these areas exhibited smaller home ranges, indicating they did not need to travel as far to meet their resource needs.
Upland Pine Forests: This habitat showed lower raccoon densities and larger home ranges. The scarcity of resources like water and denning sites meant raccoons had to cover more ground to find what they needed.
These variations in habitat use and density are critical for managing zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, which raccoons can spread. Understanding habitat-specific raccoon behavior helps tailor strategies for wildlife management and disease control, such as the deployment of oral rabies vaccines