Thread by @HannahGriebling

Welcome to the inaugural #UrbanWildlifeWednesday! Today we're talking about one of my favorite urban adapters, the #Raccoon, AKA #TrashPandas!
#SciComm #ScienceTwitter #UrbanEcology

#Raccoons are incredibly successful in cities, being ubiquitous across North America, and, unfortunately, successfully invading countries where they've been introduced, like Europe and Japan.

And we all know that #raccoons are #smart...right? While there's a ton of anecdotal reports of raccoons engaging in what we'd call intelligent behavior, usually in the search for food, we actually don't know how truly smart they are.

So, is raccoons' #intelligence the reason for their success in cities? After all, some have famously outsmarted 'raccoon proof' garbage cans in Toronto, Canada. npr.org/2018/09/16/647…

As with most questions in #science, the answer is We Don't Know (Yet)! What we DO know is that raccoons are behaviorally flexible -- meaning they can quickly modify their behavior in response to change.

We also know that raccoons are innovative, and capable of repeated #innovation. This was tested by giving raccoons a puzzle box with 3 solutions, and seeing how many of these solutions they would open. Many of them opened all 3! link.springer.com/article/10.100…

Their #flexibility and repeated #innovation may be helpful for life in the #city, bc raccoons are able to quickly change their behavior to solve new problems. Since cities can change rapidly, often in response to 'nuisances' like #raccoons, this can help them cope in their homes.

If you want to know more check out my colleague @Lauren_Stanton_ and all of her work with raccoons and other North American #UrbanCarnivores! sciencefriday.com/segments/why-a…

Have a question about #raccoons? Want to know more about their intelligence? Is there another #UrbanAnimal you care about and want to learn more about? Comment and let me know! 🌟🦝🌟 #UrbanWildlifeWednesday