What kind of Raccoon is this? (Seven Springs Nc)

[u/Icy-Programmer4363]

I work at a State park and we have this mount in our Visitor Center and I have guest ask me all time what type it is and I really don’t know. I don’t think it is an albino it doesn’t match other pictures I’ve seen of them.

[u/Led_Zeppole_73]

Old mount? I’ve seen mounts that have faded heavily after 100+ years. My buddy stuffed a red fox 30 years ago, has faded very much to an off-orange. Or, that raccoon was blond to begin with.

[u/Glossydough → u/Led_Zeppole_73]

That’s my bet as well. It wouldn’t even have to be super old or anything, taxidermied birds & animals can fade easily if exposed to sunlight.

[u/nothowyoupronounceit → u/Led_Zeppole_73]

When I was working in a natural history museum through my undergrad and master’s, we did get a brown raccoon once and a cream colored raccoon once, too. I am not trying to discredit your comment, of course! It’s probably more likely this specimen has faded from light exposure, just thought it’s cool to note there is some phenotypic variation when it comes to pelage color for raccoons.

[u/rjh2000]

It’s a there’s only one species of raccoon in North America, this just a blond color phase, it’s rare but it happens.

[u/dancewithstrangers → u/rjh2000]

Theres 2 other species depending on what you define as North America. Theres the Cozumel raccoon which looks very similar and I would definitely consider Mexico North America. Then if you want to throw in Central America as Northern America then there’s the crab eating raccoon.

[u/HawkingTomorToday]

I have a raccoon that color in my backyard, Kentucky. We call it “Blonde Fatty”

[u/teeripple → u/HawkingTomorToday]

It's an excaped pet, most likely. Albino raccoons are popular in the illegal pet trade.

[u/dank_fish_tanks]

Older mounts like this tend to fade / become "bleached" over time due to sun exposure.

So it may appear to be a unique color morph like leucism or hypomelanism, but is more likely to just be an older specimen whose color has faded over time.

[u/Walnut2001]

A dead one

[u/Repulsive-Company-53]

Leucistic

[u/TheRealGreedyGoat]

So fluffy I must pet

[u/CaptainMarrow]

That’s a regular raccoon. Sometimes they’re blonde

[u/Vampira309]

It's bad taxidermy, but was once a regular raccoon - there's only one kind in the US.

The light color isn't fading, just a color variation. We have one in the group that lives on our property

[u/Thoth-long-bill]

A stuffed one?

[u/drsoos1973]

Dead?

[u/InIt2SwimIt]

Pomeranian -raccoon hybrid

[u/3006mv]

Just an old faded taxidermy