UNDATED (WJAR/CNN/CNN Newsource/WKRC) – Urban raccoons could be on the path to domestication, according to a recent study.
New research indicates that raccoons living in cities are showing signs of becoming more comfortable around humans and could potentially become domesticated.
An assistant professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock began exploring this possibility after observing raccoons scavenging trash cans on campus and appearing at ease in urban environments.
Previous studies have shown that domesticated animals often develop features such as shorter noses, smaller teeth and curly tails.
In this study, researchers analyzed hundreds of raccoon photos and found that urban raccoons have snouts that are 3.6% shorter than those of their rural counterparts.
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The professor theorizes that raccoons may be in the process of domesticating and could one day become household pets. The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology.