Vol. 8 No. 3 (2017)

The raccoon (Procyon lotor grinnelli) is one of the most abundant carnivores in North America, being frequently found associated with human settlements.  This photograph shows three juveniles resting during a summer day on a dates palm. The palm tree offers protection, shade and food. Being in the high part offers good air circulation that helps to offset high temperatures. It is a subspecies endemic to the southern Baja California Peninsula. Photograph of a palm tree on the central plaza at Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, La Paz, Baja California, Mexico (Photograph by Sergio Ticul Álvarez Castañeda).