Mexican raccoon
subspecies of mammal native to North America
The Mexican raccoon (Procyon lotor hernandezii), also known as the Mexican Plateau raccoon, Yucatan raccoon, or Campeche raccoon, is a subspecies of the common raccoon native to Mexico and much of Central America. It is the most widespread raccoon subspecies in this region, occupying diverse habitats from tropical lowlands to montane forests.
Classification and taxonomy
The Mexican raccoon was first described in 1831 by the German zoologist Johann Georg Wagler, who named it Procyon hernandezii. Historically, many different subspecies names were applied to raccoons in Mexico and Central America. Early 20th-century taxonomists like Edward William Nelson and Edward Alp Goldman named numerous forms (e.g. P. l. hernandezii, P. l. mexicanus, P. l. shufeldti, P. l. crassidens, P. l.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Mexican raccoon” as subspecies of mammal native to North America. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as subspecies of mammal native to North America. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jan 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q20908036. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1831.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Mexican raccoon” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.