Can Raccoons Eat Bananas? (5 Interesting Facts)

There are times when you may find yourself being intensely tempted to share your bananas with raccoons that happen to be around. But before actually giving raccoons bananas to eat, you will want to know whether feeding them on bananas is really a good idea. This article has the answer.

Can raccoons eat bananas? Yes, raccoons are capable of eating bananas. Raccoons are opportunistic omnivores, able to eat a wide range of foods. Bananas are largely safe for raccoons. And from the bananas, raccoons may be able to derive some nutrients that can help them.

Thus if you happen to have a pet raccoon, it may be alright to feed him on bananas once in a while.

But if there are wild raccoons that sometimes pass by your place, it may not be such a good idea to feed them on bananas. It is not that bananas are bad for them in any way.

But feeding wild raccoons can have the effect of making them somewhat reliant on you, as a food source. In due course, this can cause human-wildlife conflict, among other problems.

In principle though, bananas are alright for raccoons. If you research on what should you not feed raccoons, bananas are not on the list.

Conversely, if you research on what fruit do raccoons love, you often find bananas in the list.

Thus bananas are largely alright for raccoons. Yet there are people who find it actually hard to believe that animals like raccoons can really eat bananas.

So we have to start by tackling that question: of whether raccoons are capable of eating bananas.

Are Raccoons Capable Of Eating Bananas?

Yes, raccoons are capable of eating bananas.

It is important to appreciate that raccoons are opportunistic omnivores. This means that they eat a wide range of foods that they happen to find.

Sometimes, the raccoons find bananas in their day to day forays. In such cases, they usually waste no time in starting to devour them. So this means that raccoons are capable of eating bananas.

There are people who keep raccoons as pets (in places where it is legal to do so). Such people sometimes feed the raccoons on bananas. And the raccoons eat the bananas. This shows that raccoons are capable of eating bananas.

If you search online, you may find several videos in which a baby raccoon eats bananas. This is further evidence that raccoons are capable of eating bananas from a young age.

Are Bananas Safe For Raccoons?

Bananas are, for the most part, safe for raccoons.

Some people who keep raccoons as pets (where that is legal) do often feed them on bananas. And the raccoons don’t seem to suffer any harm from eating the bananas.

From that, we can infer that bananas are safe for raccoons.

There are also people who feed wild raccoons on bananas, when they happen to come across them. This may not be right. Nonetheless, when such wild raccoons eat bananas, they don’t seem to suffer any harm.

From that, we can still infer that bananas are safe for raccoons.

Nothing in bananas can be said to be toxic for raccoons. Therefore bananas are safe for raccoons.

Are Bananas Beneficial For Raccoons?

Bananas are full of nutrients that many animals, including raccoons, may find beneficial.

For one, the bananas are an energy-packed food. This is largely on account of their high sugar content, which the body converts into energy.

Besides energy, the bananas also have vitamins, minerals, fiber and other helpful nutrients.

So when raccoons eat bananas, it is not in futility. They do get some nutrients from the bananas.

Can Raccoons Eat Bananas?

Bananas are a food that raccoons are capable of eating: one which they actually seem to enjoy.

Further, bananas are, for the most part, safe for raccoons.

And further still, bananas have some nutritional benefits for raccoons.

These being the facts, it follows that there is nothing to bar raccoons from eating bananas. So raccoons can eat bananas.

The only caveat we can give is with regard to feeding wild raccoons on bananas. This may not be a good idea, as it can make them habituated. Such habituation can in due course lead to major problems.

Can Baby Raccoons Eat Bananas?

It is possible for baby raccoons to eat bananas.

Baby raccoons are born with the ability to eat fairly complex foods – including bananas.  Within a relatively short period of time from birth, you find baby raccoons being able to eat bananas.

Thus bananas are okay for baby raccoons.

Do Raccoons Eat Bananas In The Wild?

When wild raccoons happen to find the naturally growing bananas in the meadows, they usually eat them.

To be sure, bananas are not very abundant in the raccoons’ natural habitats. But when the raccoons do occasionally find bananas, they – being opportunistic omnivores – devour them with relish.

Which Parts Of Banana Can Raccoons Eat?

A banana has many parts: including the actual fruit, its peels, the leaves and so on. The question we have to deal with is on which of these banana parts a raccoon can eat.

Let’s look at several of these banana parts in turn, to see whether raccoons can eat them.

Can Raccoons Eat Banana Fruit?

Yes, raccoons are able to eat banana fruit.

If you give a raccoon a banana fruit, it will waste no time figuring out what to do with it.

It almost instinctively knows that the banana fruit is a food that is supposed to be eaten.

Thus raccoons can eat banana fruit.

Can Raccoons Eat Banana Peel?

Here, we need to start by asking ourselves, can raccoons peel bananas? And the answer is that raccoons at times show the ability to peel bananas. They may not peel as well as apes, but they try.

What next then? Do racoons eat banana peels? In most cases, they seem to prefer to avoid the banana peels. This is because the banana peels often contain somewhat bitter strands.

Raccoons prefer the sweet banana fruit, as opposed to the often bitter banana peels.

Can Raccoons Eat Banana Leaves?

Just like the banana peels, the banana leaves are often quite bitter.

On account of their bitterness, the banana leaves may not be the first choice of food for raccoons.

In most cases, the raccoons prefer the sweeter banana fruit.

How Much Banana Can Raccoons Eat?

We have thus far established that raccoons can eat bananas. The question that follows is on how much banana the raccoons are supposed to eat.

So we ask ourselves, how much banana is enough for a raccoon. And conversely, how much banana is too much for raccoons?

The truth of the matter is that raccoons vary greatly in body size. Some are as small as 5 kg, while others are as big as 25 kg.

Against that background, it is difficult to give a one size fits all guideline on feeding.

For a 5 kg raccoon, one banana per day may be adequate. But for a 25 kg raccoon, two to three bananas per day may be what is necessary.

While at it, how often can you feed bananas to raccoons? To be more specific, for instance, can raccoons eat bananas daily?

The most ideal approach is that of only feeding raccoons on bananas once in a while. Like if you keep a pet raccoon, you can have him eat bananas once or twice per week. But avoid daily banana feedings.

Final Verdict – Can Raccoons Eat Bananas

Raccoons are among the animals that are capable of eating bananas.

People who keep raccoons as pets (where that is legal) do sometimes feed the raccoons on bananas. And the raccoons seem to greatly enjoy being fed on the bananas.

There are also people who sometimes feed wild raccoons on bananas. While this may not be right, such wild raccoons nonetheless seem to relish the bananas greatly.

Thus bananas are alright for raccoons. Bananas are edible, safe and nutritious for raccoons.

When feeding pet raccoons on bananas, it may be a good idea to exercise moderation. The idea is to have them eat just a few bananas (commensurate with their body sizes) once in a while.

Otherwise the raccoons may start foregoing other more nutritious feeds, in favor of the (sweeter) bananas.

As for wild raccoons, it may not be ideal to feed them bananas – or any other foods for that matter. Doing so may habituate them, eventually leading to conflicts.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give raccoons a good and comfortable life!

Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️