Procyon lotor
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English: Common raccoon
German: Nordamerikanisher waschbar„r
French: Raton laveur
Spanish: Racoon
Distribution areas
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The racoon is found in North America
from southern areas of Canada to Central
America.
Description of the fur
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The skins are from 40 to 70 cm long and The surface structure
the tail is about 20 to 40 cm long. The of the skin, 200x
hair coat is long and relatively dense. The
undercoat is grey or grey-brown in colour. The guard hairs are relatively
soft, and brown-grey, or yellow-grey in colour; only the tips are dark brown
or black. Some guard hairs are white. The longest coarse hairs measure up to
110 mm.
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Procyon lotor
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English: Common raccoon
German: Nordamerikanisher waschbar„r
French: Raton laveur
Spanish: Racoon
Structure of the hair
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The microscopic structure of the skin
surface is furrowed; the hair follicles are
wide with straight edges. On average the
follicles contain a cluster of 7 to 14
fibres.
The fine fur fibres are elliptical in The cuticular structure
cross-section. The diameter is from 10 to of the fine fibres, 2000x
25 µm and the cuticular scales are
cornet-like in lower and comb-like in the upper part of the shafts. The scale
surface is smooth and scale margins are straight. The medullary column is of
the narrow type; it occupies a little less than the half of the whole
cross-section. The medulla is unbroken, central-symmetrical in
cross-sectional outline, and is of the uniserial ladder type with the
perforated sheet-like detailed structure of the infilling substance.
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Procyon lotor
-------------
English: Common raccoon
German: Nordamerikanisher waschbar„r
French: Raton laveur
Spanish: Racoon
The intermediate fibres have an
elliptical cross-section with a diameter of
from 40 to 70 µm. The cuticular scales are
even, tile-like or crenated, tile-like with
a smooth scale surface and straight,
sometimes crenated, scale margins. The
medulla is wide, unbroken and central
symmetrical-shaped in cross-section. The
overall medullary pattern is of the The cuticular structure
sponge-lattice-like type with a foam-like of the fine fibres, 2000x
detailed structure of the infilling
substance.
The guard hairs are from 70 to 110 µm in diameter and elliptical in
cross-sectional outline. The cuticular surface is covered by even or
crenated, tile-like scales with a smooth surface and straight, or rippled
scale margins. The medulla is wide, unbroken and central symmetrical-shaped
in cross-section. The medulla is sponge-lattice-like in shape and the
infilling material is of the foam-like detailed structure.
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Procyon lotor
-------------
English: Common raccoon
German: Nordamerikanisher waschbar„r
French: Raton laveur
Spanish: Racoon
The cuticular structure
of an intermediate hair, 1000x
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Procyon lotor
-------------
English: Common raccoon
German: Nordamerikanisher waschbar„r
French: Raton laveur
Spanish: Racoon
Transverse section
of an intermediate fibre, 2000x
Numerical code for raccoon skin structure
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Surface of the skin: 3-2-3
Fine fur fibres: 2-5.6-1-1-3-1-1-1-2-7.14-18.51
Intermediate fibres: 2-2.4-1-1.2-2-1-1-6-5-40.71-25.75
Guard hairs: 2-4.2-1-2.1-2-1-1-6-5-70.111-75.115
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