Are There Different Types of Raccoons?

Chris Cheadle/All Canada Photos/Getty Images

There are seven different species of raccoons, including the North American raccoon, the most common member of the raccoon family. The distinctive masked face of this raccoon species is seen in the wild from north of Canada to South America.

The second most common species of raccoon is the crab-eating raccoon. It is found in South America with a southernmost range of northern Argentina and is similar in appearance to the North American raccoon but with shorter fur. The other five species are the Barbados, Tres Marias, Bahaman, Guadeloupe and Cozumel raccoons. Cozumel raccoons are the smallest of all raccoons and are critically endangered.