The kits remain with their mother in her home range through winter, and in early spring seek out their own territories. By 12 weeks, the kits roam on their own for several nights before returning to their mother. At eight to ten weeks of age, the young regularly accompany their mother outside the den and forage for them selves. The kits remain in the den until they are about seven weeks old, at which time they can walk, run, climb, and begin to occupy alternate dens. After a 65-day gestation period, two to three kits are born. The peak mating period is March to April. Raccoons pair up only during the breeding season, and mating occurs as early as January to as late as June. Several raccoons may den together during winter storms. Only a female with young or an animal “holed up” during a cold spell will use the same den for any length of time. Raccoons generally move to different den or daytime rest site every few days and do not follow a predictable pattern. In wooded areas, they often rest in trees. In urban areas, raccoons normally use den sites as daytime rest sites. Den sites also include wood duck nest-boxes, attics, crawl spaces, chimneys, and abandoned vehicles. They include abandoned burrows dug by other mammals, areas in or under large rock piles and brush piles, hollow logs, and holes in trees.
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