Summary
A new study suggests raccoons might be on the path to becoming pets in the U.S. Researchers found physical changes in urban raccoons that resemble early domestication signs seen in animals like dogs and cats. This change is connected to raccoons' frequent interactions with human environments, particularly through trash.
Key Facts
- A study observed urban raccoons have shorter snouts than rural ones, which is a sign of early domestication.
- Urban raccoons interact closely with humans, often searching through trash.
- The study comes from researchers who examined nearly 20,000 photos of raccoons.
- Some pet raccoons have become popular on social media, like TikTok.
- Raccoons are present all over the contiguous U.S., seen as pets in some areas and pests in others.
- Researchers found that raccoons might be naturally adapting to human environments which affect their responses to threats.
- This adaptation could be causing their features to soften, similar to traits found in domesticated animals.
- The domestication process might start naturally when animals repeatedly live near humans and adapt to these conditions.
