Kurt M. Hodges

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are ecological generalists that use a variety of landscape and habitat types. Although space and habitat use are well understood for raccoons throughout the southeastern United States, relationships between space use and landscape characteristics are not. We examined relationships between space use and landscape characteristics for 95 radio-marked raccoons monitored during 1996-1997 on two adjacent forested landscapes that differed in forest management strategies. We noted relationships between space use and patch richness, proportion and size of riparian habitats...

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are important furbearers that generate considerable income and recreation across the southeastern United States. Growing concerns about impacts of raccoons on wildlife populations necessitates sound information on raccoon behavior and population dynamics. Forest management has changed throughout the southeastern United States due to increased demands for wood fiber and changing land-use objectives on public lands. However, little research has examined potential influences of forest management strategies on raccoon ranging behavior, particularly within intensively...