Object Status:
Unlocated
Accession Date:
By 1796
Primary Source Reference:
A Scientific and Descriptive Catalogue of Peale's Museum (Philadelphia, 1796), p. 42
Additional Source Text:
In his Natural History Lecture No. 5 (1799), Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Peale wrote: "The Lotor, or Racoon is a native of all the states of America, & it is said to be extremely troublesome in Jamaica – Is easily made tame, very good natured, and sportive, but sometimes plays a little too rough. It is almost always in Motion; very inquisitive, examining every thing with its paws. It makes use of them as hands; sits up to eat; is extremely fond of sweet things, and will get excessively drunk. It has all the cunning of the fox; is very destructive of Poultry; but will eat all sorts of fruits, green corn &c.
"At low water it feeds much on oysters, will watch their opening and with its paw snatch out the fish; it sometimes is caught in the shell and suffers for its rashness. It is also fond of Crabs. It climbs nimbly up trees, and lives in hollows of old trees.
"Their Fur is used to make hats. Like the fox altho’ very gentle when chained, but no sooner it gets its liberty but it will bite its keeper. It is very fond of washing its fore paws, and will moisten its food by dipping it in water.
"The flat muddy Islands on the coasts of Carolina, Georgia, and east Florida are numerously inhabited by this Animal, and subsist on Crabs of various kinds, and the Racoon oyster, which takes its name from this animal. Their drink is the Sea water."
In his "Walk through the Phil[adelphi]a Museum" (1805-1806), pp. 24-25, Peale wrote: "The Racoon (Lotor) ranks with the bear. It stands on its hind feet in the same manner, & like it, paces back and forward when chained."
Notes:
Richard Harlan describes this species, which he calls Ursus lotor, in Fauna Americana: Being a Description of the Mammiferous Animals Inhabiting North America (Philadelphia, 1825), pp. 54-56 / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3194394
Specimen Type:
Living/Live (presumably eventually taxidermied/preserved)
Peale's Common Name:
Raccoon
Peale's Scientific Name:
Raton, Buff.
Current Common Name:
Raccoon
Current Scientific Name
Procyon lotor
