According to a new study, raccoons can expand their natural range to parts of the UK.
German scientists looked at data on the raccoon and the bizarre raccoon dog and predicted where they might survive in Europe.
Raccoons, known for the gun by garbage cans, could live in urban and coastal areas, such as Liverpool, London and much of the English South Coast.
Currently, there are no raccoons in the British wilderness, but the study indicates that they would probably thrive if illegally represented or escaped from captivity.
Raccoon dogs, a dog that looks like a fox, can spread even further across the British Isles if the raccoon, including much of Scotland and Ireland, data showed.
Both animals are considered invasive species and are on the EU’s watch list of alien animals that can take up new soil and cause ecological destruction.
The animals are very resilient, can survive in a variety of conditions and have the potential to transmit parasites to humans, experts warn.
The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is native to North America, while the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) is native to Asia – and is considered a potential host of coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2.
The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is native to North America and is known for its distinctive black mask around its eyes with white fur around the mask.
This map shows in red the potential range of the raccoon in Europe. The colored areas are a suitable habitat for the animal and contain parts of the United Kingdom
This map from the Invasive Species Compendium shows the current European series of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) spread over 20 countries
In July last year, a raccoon was seen roaming the Welsh countryside – before being caught and put down.
Although it is not illegal to keep a raccoon dog as a pet, the RSPCA strongly advises’ people to do so as they are ‘not fit for life as a pet in a home environment’. the charity told MailOnline.
Both species were brought to Europe during the 20th century for fur farming and as prey for hunters, and have since spread over wide areas.
According to the Invasive Species Compendium, the raccoon and the raccoon dog can be found in 20 and 33 countries in Europe respectively.
But there is a risk that these species will spread further and expand their varieties in Europe to their current distribution, which could increase these figures.
Screenshot from the Invasive Species Compendium, a database of the Center for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI). It shows the current global range of the raccoon (Procyon lotor)
“In Europe, animals do not yet occupy all regions with suitable climatic conditions – ie regions that are a potential habitat for them,” the study’s author, Dr Judith Kochmann, told the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center in Frankfurt.
‘Therefore, it is likely that the varieties of raccoon and raccoon dogs in Europe will expand significantly in the future.
Raccoons and raccoon dogs are flexible in terms of habitat and diet. In addition, they have few, if any, natural enemies in Europe.
“We therefore assume that their natural distribution is mainly limited by climate, and in this regard there is still room for expansion.”
Raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) are not raccoons, but members of the family (dogs). They are native to the forests of eastern Siberia, northern China, northern Vietnam, Korea and Japan and are now widespread in some European countries.
Map showing the projected area of climate suitability in Europe for the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) red. The range is even wider for the raccoon dog, which has a greater tolerance for colder temperatures than the raccoon
As they spread, raccoons and raccoon dogs can harbor infectious agents, such as parasites and viruses, which can also be transmitted to humans.
“Raccoons transmit the raccoon roundworm and are considered reservoir hosts for the West Nile virus,” said co-author Dr Sven Klimpel of the Goethe University in Frankfurt.
Raccoon dogs present with similar pathogens, including list viruses that cause rabies, canine distemper viruses, and the fox tapeworm.
“In addition, raccoon dogs are currently suspected of being coronavirus reservoir hosts (including SARS-CoV-2).”
The researchers are currently investigating exactly which pathogens are carried by these two species.
For their study, researchers investigated areas where the two species may experience climatic conditions similar to their native ranges, and thus find a suitable habitat.
Invasive Species Compendium showing the current global range of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides). It is widespread throughout Asia and much of Europe, but not North America like the raccoon
Invasive Species Compendium indicating the current European series of the raccoon dog – note its importance in Scandinavia compared to the raccoon
A total of 6,911 records of the location of raccoons in their country of birth and 192 of raccoon dogs from Asia were studied to determine the parts of Europe where the animals could live.
The team used eight variables to analyze the temperature and precipitation conditions under which the two species were documented thrive in their home regions.
From this information they deduced the climatic substances of the animals – where the species is just as good as the species can survive.
The habitats with a suitable climate for raccoons and raccoon dogs overlap widely in Europe, they reveal.
The raccoon dog can spread faster to Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, while raccoons will colonize mainly southern regions, including London, Cornwall, Merseyside and Brighton in the United Kingdom.
This difference is probably due to the fact that raccoon dogs tolerate lower temperatures in winter – a behavior that, according to the authors of the study, may have contributed to its successful spread in Northern Europe.
‘Procyon lotor apparently finds suitable habitats in all coastal areas, but can not reach higher altitudes,’ say the authors.
In future research, the scientists plan to expand their approach by using land use data, enabling the development of improved small-scale models.
It will serve as a basis for future management measures aimed at controlling the populations of both species.
The study was published in Mammal Review.