Procyonidae
Procyonidae is a family of mostly omnivorous mammals native to the Americas. It includes raccoons, coatis, kinkajous, olingos, and ringtails.
Raccoon: A mostly nocturnal mammal known for its masked face, dexterous forepaws, and adaptability. Raccoons are the best-known members of Procyonidae.
Carnivora: An order of mammals that includes cats, dogs, bears, seals, and related groups. Procyonidae is one branch of this larger mammalian order.
Raccoon rabies: A rabies virus variant maintained chiefly in raccoon populations in parts of North America. Raccoons make this disease ecology a prominent human-wildlife concern.
Mustelidae: A family of carnivoran mammals that includes weasels, otters, badgers, and wolverines. Mustelids are close musteloid relatives, but belong to a separate family.
Coati: A long-snouted, diurnal mammal in the genus Nasua, native to the Americas. Coatis show the family’s social, ground-foraging side.
Caniformia: A suborder of Carnivora that includes bears, dogs, seals, and their relatives. Procyonids belong to the dog-like branch of carnivorans.
Raccoon roundworm: A parasitic nematode carried by raccoons that can cause severe disease in accidental hosts. The parasite illustrates a health risk associated with close contact with raccoons.
Viverridae: A family of mostly Old World carnivorous mammals that includes civets and genets. Civets can resemble procyonids, but belong to a different carnivoran lineage.
Kinkajou: A nocturnal, tree-dwelling mammal with a prehensile tail, native to Central and South America. Its fruit-heavy diet and arboreal life contrast with raccoons’ broader habits.
Musteloidea: A superfamily of caniform mammals that includes mustelids, skunks, red pandas, and procyonids. This superfamily captures the close evolutionary neighborhood of Procyonidae.