Everyone knows that raccoons can open just about any trash bin lid we humans devise to keep them out. How many homeowners have discovered garbage littered about the yard the day after buying a new bin they were sure would keep the masked bandit out? Raccoons also somehow find their way into attics, despite how challenging the task seems. So, just how smart are raccoons? They’re more intelligent than you might think!

Raccoons Have High IQs

Raccoons aren’t just crafty. They actually have higher IQs than most mammals, including dogs! They rank pretty high on the list of smart animals, sitting not too far behind dolphins, elephants, monkeys and apes. They have a high neuron-count-to-brain-size ratio, a good indicator of intelligence. If you have a dog, you know how clever they can be and how well they learn, but raccoons outperform dogs in tests that involve memory.

Raccoons Are Skilled Problem-Solvers

Solving problems requires changing perspective, forethought, critical thinking and adaptability. It turns out that the masked bandit excels in this area. You’ve undoubtedly witnessed this skill if you’ve had them break into your home or bust out the leftovers in the garbage can. They can handle even bigger problems than those. Researchers in one study found that this clever animal could figure out how to pick a complex lock within 10 attempts.

Raccoons Can Learn

When it comes to learning, these creatures have it down. They learn from past efforts and use their knowledge to develop new skills. They can remember the solution to a problem for three years and use that information when confronted with the same or similar situation in the future. Raccoons build on what they’ve learned in the past to develop new skills and come up with new solutions.

Raccoons Are Adaptable

Believe it or not, raccoons evolved to live in forested environments. Their original habitat was in woodlands with nearby water sources, sleeping in tree hollows, the trunks of fallen trees or the underbrush. Now, they can make their homes in almost any environment. Like humans, they have the intelligence to adapt to new places and changing circumstances.

Raccoons Are Very Curious

Curiosity and intelligence are closely linked. The more curious an animal is, the higher its intelligence tends to be. Curious creatures consistently investigate and experiment with their surroundings. They get bored with a lack of stimulation and tend to create their own when necessary. Unfortunately, raccoon curiosity can sometimes get into trouble with humans.

Curiosity may be a significant factor that drives raccoons to check out people’s attics. What’s behind those walls? Is it possible to squeeze through this opening? Is there something good to eat or a great place to sleep inside? Their curious nature is also the thing that makes them so persistent. They are not ones to give up just because they run into a little obstacle!

Raccoons Have Dexterous Digits

For humans, opposable thumbs and a high IQ served us well in the survival game. While dexterous digits aren’t a sign of intelligence, the two traits work together well. Other primates have nearly opposable thumbs that allow them to manipulate their environment quite well, and so do raccoons. Their hand anatomy is very similar to a human’s, giving them a strong grasp and some control over fine motor movements so they can work their way into trash bins, sealed containers and your attic.

Experts in Raccoon Removal in Ajax

It’s hard to outsmart raccoons. The masked bandit is an intelligent problem-solver that can think its way through many of the roadblocks we put in its path. Fortunately, the Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control team understands how clever these critters are. We know how to safely and humanely remove them from your home and implement exclusion techniques that keep them out, no matter how smart they are. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for raccoon removal in Ajax.