<P> Raccoon skulls have a short and wide facial region and a voluminous braincase . The facial length of the skull is less than the cranial, and their nasal bones are short and quite broad . The auditory bullae are inflated in form, and the sagittal crest is weakly developed . The dentition--40 teeth with the dental formula: 3.1. 4.2 3.1. 4.2--is adapted to their omnivorous diet: the carnassials are not as sharp and pointed as those of a full - time carnivore, but the molars are not as wide as those of a herbivore . The penis bone of males is about 10 cm (4 in) long and strongly bent at the front end . Juvenile males are distinguished from mature males by the shape and extrusibility of their penis bones . Seven of the thirteen identified vocal calls are used in communication between the mother and her kits, one of these being the birdlike twittering of newborns . </P> <P> The most important sense for the raccoon is its sense of touch . The "hyper sensitive" front paws are protected by a thin horny layer that becomes pliable when wet . The five digits of the paws have no webbing between them, which is unusual for a carnivoran . Almost two - thirds of the area responsible for sensory perception in the raccoon's cerebral cortex is specialized for the interpretation of tactile impulses, more than in any other studied animal . They are able to identify objects before touching them with vibrissae located above their sharp, nonretractable claws . The raccoon's paws lack an opposable thumb; thus, it does not have the agility of the hands of primates . There is no observed negative effect on tactile perception when a raccoon stands in water below 10 ° C (50 ° F) for hours . </P> <P> Raccoons are thought to be color blind or at least poorly able to distinguish color, though their eyes are well - adapted for sensing green light . Although their accommodation of 11 dioptre is comparable to that of humans and they see well in twilight because of the tapetum lucidum behind the retina, visual perception is of subordinate importance to raccoons because of their poor long - distance vision . In addition to being useful for orientation in the dark, their sense of smell is important for intraspecific communication . Glandular secretions (usually from their anal glands), urine and feces are used for marking . With their broad auditory range, they can perceive tones up to 50--85 kHz as well as quiet noises, like those produced by earthworms underground . </P> <P> Zoologist Clinton Hart Merriam described raccoons as "clever beasts", and that "in certain directions their cunning surpasses that of the fox ." The animal's intelligence gave rise to the epithet "sly coon". Only a few studies have been undertaken to determine the mental abilities of raccoons, most of them based on the animal's sense of touch . In a study by the ethologist H.B. Davis in 1908, raccoons were able to open 11 of 13 complex locks in fewer than 10 tries and had no problems repeating the action when the locks were rearranged or turned upside down . Davis concluded they understood the abstract principles of the locking mechanisms and their learning speed was equivalent to that of rhesus macaques . Studies in 1963, 1973, 1975 and 1992 concentrated on raccoon memory showed they can remember the solutions to tasks for up to three years . In a study by B. Pohl in 1992, raccoons were able to instantly differentiate between identical and different symbols three years after the short initial learning phase . Stanislas Dehaene reports in his book The Number Sense raccoons can distinguish boxes containing two or four grapes from those containing three . </P>

Where do racoons go in the day time