Raccoons may be on their way to becoming America’s next pet

Raccoons may be poised to become America’s next pet.

Affectionately called trash pandas, these masked mammals known for scavenging trash for easy food are evolving based on their proximity to humans, and are even starting to look cuter, according to a new study.

Evaluation of nearly 20,000 photos revealed “a marked reduction in snout length” in urban raccoons compared to their rural cousins ​​- a physical change consistent with early stages of domestication seen in cats and dogs.

Some who have been adopted as pets have become TikTok celebrities. One particularly daring dumpster diver even sprinted onto the field during a Major League Soccer game in Philadelphia last year.

Striped-tailed mammals, also nicknamed “barnyard bandits,” are widespread throughout the contiguous United States.

Their ability to thrive in both wild and urban environments has led them to occupy an unusual space in American life: beloved pet in some neighborhoods, persistent pest in others.

Proximity to humans could indicate that the creatures feel more comfortable around us or, from a scientific perspective, tone down their innate flight responses, according to the study published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology.

The softening of their characteristics could be due to changes in their fight-or-flight response at the cellular level, he says.

This urban domestication starts with trash, study co-author Raffaela Lesch of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock told Scientific American.

“Trash is really the kickstarter,” she said. “Everywhere humans go, there is trash – and animals love our trash.”

But to enjoy this endless buffet, wildlife must strike a delicate balance: bold enough to rummage through trash and navigate human environments, but not bold enough to pose a threat.

“If you have an animal that lives near humans, you have to be wise enough,” Lesch said. “This selection pressure is quite intense.”

According to the authors, this finding is consistent with the “domestication syndrome phenotype.”

Domestication syndrome – anatomical and morphological changes such as curly tails, drooping ears, depigmentation, smaller brains and reduced facial skeletons – are commonly cited as some of the most salient traits, according to the study.

These traits are also seen in more common domestic animals, such as dogs descended from wolves.

The study authors also hypothesized that the domestication process was incorrectly initiated by humans, who captured or selectively bred animals in the past.

The process may actually begin much earlier than previously thought, they said, particularly once the animals have become accustomed to the human environment.

“Only animals with blunted flight (or fight) responses would perform better,” the authors wrote. “This makes the early stages of the domestication process a process of pure natural selection.”