Raccoons generally do not excavate their own burrows for shelter. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are highly adaptable mammals whose body structure and behavioral patterns favor using pre-existing spaces rather than creating new, deep earthen dens. Their interactions with the ground are usually focused on finding food rather than constructing a permanent home.
Raccoons Are Opportunistic Den Users
Raccoons prefer utilizing natural cavities and existing structures as safe havens for resting, raising young, and escaping predators. Their anatomy, characterized by flexible paws and robust climbing ability, is optimized for navigating vertical spaces and squeezing into tight gaps, not for the sustained excavation required for a deep burrow. This defines them as opportunistic den users, relying entirely on the environment for suitable shelter.
In forested environments, a raccoon’s primary shelter is often found high above the ground in large, mature trees. They commonly seek out hollow logs, tree cavities, or abandoned nests that offer insulation and protection. If they must shelter on the ground, they readily occupy rock crevices or take over pre-dug burrows created by other specialized digging animals, such as groundhogs or skunks. These existing structures offer immediate protection without the high energy expenditure of digging.
Digging for Sustenance, Not Shelter
The perception that raccoons dig burrows often stems from observing their frequent foraging behaviors in lawns and gardens. When a raccoon is seen scratching up turf or turning over loose soil, it is motivated by the search for calories, not the construction of a permanent home. Their primary targets are subsurface invertebrates, such as beetle larvae and earthworms, which they locate using their acute sense of smell and sensitive front paws.
This type of digging is functionally different from the deep excavation required to create a secure den. Raccoons employ shallow, chaotic digging to access food sources only a few inches beneath the surface, resulting in small holes or peeled-back patches of sod. A true burrow requires specialized claws, a different body posture, and a sustained effort to move significant volumes of compacted soil.
Where Raccoons Find Shelter in Human Environments
The opportunistic nature of raccoons translates into their use of human-made structures in suburban and urban landscapes. These environments provide ready-made cavities that mimic natural dens, offering safety and consistent temperature regulation. Common den sites include the voids beneath decks, porches, and garden sheds, which offer ground-level access to a dark, protected space requiring no digging.
Raccoons are also proficient at entering homes through small, unsecured openings to establish dens in elevated locations. They frequently utilize attics, chimneys, and wall voids, particularly during the spring birthing season when mothers seek the warmest locations for their kits. In all these cases, the animal exploits a pre-existing structural weakness or gap rather than physically creating a new space.