04x06 - Backyard Bandits

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Come on. It's time to prowl.

[Martin]
on this episode,
we're taking it to the streets,

Exploring
the exciting night life

Of the masked backyard bandit--
the raccoon.

Paw prints!

[Allison]
we're taking
a look at the world

Through the raccoon's eyes.

[Martin]
and while we're up,

We'll check out
other cool nocturnal creatures.

[Chris]
we'll be living
the night life

On this episode
of kratts' creatures.

Iarriba!

Iandale, andale!

O.k. Creature quiz time--

What animal is not only smart
enough to open garbage cans,

But can also unlock
back gates?

Try this one--

It eats almost anything

And can climb down trees
headfirst.

Got it yet? No?

Well...

Check this out.

The creature in question
has short forepaws

And long hind feet.

Nope. Not a fox.

He's sly,
comes out at night...

Not an otter.

He's related to the kinkajou,
coati, and the red panda.

One more clue--
he has a bushy, striped tail.

The answer is...

The raccoon.

And that's who the creature team
is in search of tonight--

The creature of clever,
the stalker of the night,

The masked bandit, the--

Hey, al.
Are you coming?

Let's go!

The great raccoon creature quest
is about to begin.

Stick with us

Because this is going
to be totally cool.

Come on.
It's time to prowl.

[Chris]
it's a kratt brothers scientific
experiment. Our mission?

[Martin]
to seek out this resourceful,

Adaptable creature
of the night...

[Chris]
and to discover what it's like
to be a raccoon.

[Allison]
the team--chris kratt,
allison baldwin,

And martin kratt.

It's 9:31 p.m.,

And we're only a few blocks
from the creature club

In search of--
you getting this, chris?

[Chris]
yeah. I've
got you covered.

If you're looking for
raccoons, the best time
is after dark.

But whereto find them--
that's another matter.

[Martin]
guys, I think
we're on the trail.

You found a raccoon?

I've got a disturbance
in the alleyway.

[Allison]
what is it?

Someone's knocked over
the garbage can

And pried off the lid.

Not only that.
Check this out.

Somebody fiddled
with this latch

And opened the gate.

Fur!

[Allison]
guys, you better
take a look at this.

The water's
been turned on.

[Martin]
this could mean
only one thing--

A raccoon's been here.

Who else in north america
besides humans

Has paws dexterous enough
to open a gate

And turn on a faucet?

[Allison]
the first thing you got to know
about the raccoon

Is that he's very clever
and he's great with his hands--

I mean paws.

[Chris]
that's the thing.

People often forget that
the raccoon has paws, not hands.

That's because the digits
on his paws

Are so long, nimble,
and, well, fingerlike.

[Martin]
and you got to hand it
to the raccoon

For the clever ways he uses
his paws to scrounge for food.

[Chris]
if there's food
for the taking,

The raccoon will snatch it.

That's why he's known
as the backyard bandit.

[Allison]
talk about nimble paws.
He even washes his food.

[Chris]
well, the jury's still out
on that one.

In fact, that's probably one
of those creature myths.

[Martin]
a city raccoon will hold food
under running water,

And that might explain
the open faucet,

But I don't think
he's cleaning it.

[Chris]
he's probably
just feeling his food,

Checking it out,
just like country raccoons do.

[Allison]
well, one thing's for sure--

There is a lot of food out here
for the raccoon to check out.

Wow. Look at this.

I've never seen a slug
so big before,

And look
at its leopard spots.

Guys, would a raccoon
eat this?

How about snails?

Martin, behind you!

We made
creature contact!

All we have to do now
is keep it in sight

And follow it.

There it is.

A raccoon?

It's got
bright eyes,
thick fur and...

That's not a raccoon.

That's a cat!

But a cat
is another creature

With great night vision.

Check out the eyes.

[Martin]
one reason creatures like cats
can see well at night

Is because their pupils--
the dark center of the eye--

Can open up really wide.

[Chris]
the more light you grab
with your pupils,

The better you can see
in the dark.

That's why the owl
has massive pupils.

[Allison]
in fact, it's amazing
just how big eyes can get.

Check out the peepers
on this nighttime feeder,
the soldierfish.

[Martin]
most nighttime creatures,

Like bush babies, leopards,
impala, and lions

Use more than just big eyes
to help them see at night.

[Chris]
they get extra help from
something called the tapetum--

[Martin]
a special reflective layer
at the back of the eye

That bounces light
like a trampoline.

It lets them use light
more efficiently.

[Chris]
and if light hits their eyes
at a certain angle, they glow.

[Martin]
great night vision

Lets creatures like
these tazzy devils and raccoons

Operate
under cover of darkness.

[Chris]
for these creatures,
nighttime is the right time.

[Martin]
in fact, raccoons rarely
come out in daylight.

So if you want
to check them out,

You got to join
the night prowl.



If you're a human

And you're looking
for a creature of the night,

It helps to level
the playing field a bit.

That's why we've put on
our creature vision goggles.

Now we can see things
like the raccoons see them.

These are a big help.

Paw prints!

Five fingers
on the front paw,

A back footprint
a lot like ours,

Except with longer
toes and claws.

Oh, yeah! These are
the tracks of a raccoon.

The hind prints are
ahead of the front prints.

That means
he's on the run.

[Whistles]

Carrots, corn...

Someone had
a real feast here.

No kidding.

Hey, allison.
Try some corn.

This is good!

Oh, yeah.

[Chirring sound]

What was that sound?

Wasn't me.

Wasn't me.

Wasn't me.

The raccoon!

[Chris]
raccoons are so sensitive
to ground vibrations,

You can't get close,
which is another point--

Nocturnal creatures use more
than just big eyes

To get around at night.

[Martin]
check out bats.

Some species use echolocation,
which works sort of like radar,

To give them
an excellent picture

Of where they are
and where they're going.

[Allison]
possums have
great night vision, too,

But they also depend on smell
to locate food, like this fruit.

[Martin]
and in africa,
the creatures of the night

Rely on a lot more than sight
to do what they do.

[Chris]
hyenas use
their sense of smell

To track down prey
like impala...

[Martin]
who use their excellent hearing
to detect the approach

Of predators like lions...

[Chris]
who use their night vision to
track down prey like buffalo...

[Martin]
who use their great sense
of smell to sniff them out.

[Chris]
owls, on the other hand,

Use their amazing senses
of sight andhearing

To hunt prey like raccoons.


Tracked the raccoon
through the night

To an old garage.

We figure he's got
to be around here
somewhere.

There he is!

He went up
on top of the roof.

There's only
one thing to do.

Raccoons
are great climbers.

Because they're born in trees
or attics or even chimneys,

They have to be able to climb
before they even begin to walk.

And they can climb down anything
headfirst or feetfirst.

You know,
it would really help

If I could rotate my feet


[Chris]
when they're on the ground,

Raccoons aren't
the most graceful creatures.

They run with a sort
of rolling gallop,

And they certainly
don't break

Any of the cheetah's
land speed records.

But you forget all that when
you see how proficient they are

At scaling trees.

With those sharp claws
and agile paws,

Raccoons are
topnotch climbers.

This garage could be
the raccoon's home, couldn't it?

It's old, dark,
and abandoned.

Sounds like the perfect place
for a city raccoon.

Abandoned buildings,
attics--

Sounds like opportunity.

[Martin]
so there are tons of creatures
who've found

That the big city
is the place to be.

Red foxes
are super city critters.

They're smart,
adaptable, flexible,

And great food finders.

[Chris]
they could be living
in your local park.

[Martin]
red foxes don't need much--

Just enough food,
like birds and mice,

And a place to hide out
and raise their family.

[Chris]
check out this city citizen--
the peregrine falcon.

He's really sunk his talons
into the big city.

[Martin]
in the wild,
peregrines use high cliffs

To perch
and build their nests.

[Chris]
and in the city,
they use high skyscrapers.

It's perfect for them.

[Martin]
from these great heights,

Peregrines stoop down
on their prey

At 180 miles per hour,

Snatching them out of the air
with powerful talons.

[Chris]
now, this is
one city creature

Who you won't find
wandering around downtown.

[Martin]
the coyote needs
a little more space

Than city creatures
like raccoons.

[Chris]
coyotes are more partial
to the outskirts of town.

[Martin]
north america hasn't cornered
the market on city creatures.

In australia,

These possums live in abandoned
buildings and attics.

[Chris]
they're australia's version
of the raccoon.

[Martin]
hey, how about
these marabou storks in africa?

They've actually decided
to make their nests

Right above a busy street
in downtown entebbe, uganda.

[Chris]
so if you're going downtown,
you got to take an umbrella.

[Martin]
now, it might seem weird to see
these big, humongous birds

Hanging out
in a big, bustling african city.

[Chris]
but then
you've got to remember,

Someone from uganda
might find it really weird

To see creatures
like squirrels and raccoons,

Who've taken up residence
in ourcities.

City raccoons
love old garages,

Attics,

Anyplace that's dark,
hidden, and out of the way

Where they can
make a nest.

You know, I never really
thought about it before,

But raccoons can probably
make a home

Out of almost anything.

It's...

Hey, masked bandits!

Crazy marty here on the raccoon
home shopping channel,

And have I got
some deals for you!

If you're a racy raccoon,

And you're looking
for just that right place

To raise the whole family,

Well, I have got
a rain barrel just for you.

This little baby's
chock-full of wood chips--

A perfect little burrow
at a steal of a price,

A great starter
for the young raccoon.

And, hey, if you're looking
to go absolutely nowhere,

Crazy marty has got
that abandoned car for you!

It's dark, hidden away,
and full of nooks and crannies.

And how about--

Hey, what's that
doing in here?

A bright greenhouse?

Get it out of here!

Crazy marty knows that you--

Raccoons--

Can't stand
bright, open places.

Hey, I couldn't even
give it away.

[Allison]
hey, chris.
What happened?


And we've lost him.

He must have jumped
into a tree

Or headed down
the other side.

[Martin]
guys, over here!

What's up?

Look right
through there.

Got it?

[Allison]
raccoons are classified
as carnivores,

Which means meat-eaters.

[Martin]
but anyone who's ever checked
out raccoons will tell you

They'll eat
just about anything.

[Chris]
and there's
no stopping them.

Things like tightly secured
garbage can lids

Aren't much of a challenge.

[Allison]
I don't know if they're going
to get in that garbage can.

It's sealed pretty tight.

[Martin]
uh, you were saying, al?

[Allison]
you know, a lot of people
in the city

Can get really annoyed
with raccoons.

[Chris]
but raccoons aren't
trying to be a pest

Or be destructive.

[Martin]
hey, they're just trying
to get something to eat,

And in the city,
garbage cans are a great place

For the raccoon
to scavenge some grub.

[Chris]
in fact, their ability to make
meals out of just about anything

Has made the raccoon an amazing
city creature success story.

[Allison]
but you know,

One of the raccoon's
secrets of success

Is his ability
to scavenge quietly.

[Rattling]

[Dog barking]

If you want to know
what it's like

To be a raccoon
in the city...

Just follow a raccoon
in the city.

[Woman]
it's raccoons again, harry!

Quick! Throw something
at them!

[Allison]
before you know it,

You'll know exactly
what it feels like.

Hey! You know, it isn't easy
being a raccoon.

[Martin]
no kidding! Neighbors
throwing things at you?

[Man]
those raccoons are still
out there, alice!

I'm going to call
crazy chet!

[Tires squeal]

Don't worry.

I'll get those raccoons,

Or I'm not chet
the exterminator man!

[Allison]
it's crazy chet!

It really isn't easy
being a raccoon.

We got to
get out of here.

I know a place.
The raccoons always
hide out there.

It's tough being
a raccoon at night.

I wonder what it's like
for them during the day.

Hey, how'd
we do that?

It's tv.

Hey, it's
a garter snake.

Raccoons will eat
these guys.

[Martin]
you know,
like the raccoon,

Snakes are really
misunderstood.

[Chris]
too many people think that
snakes are fanged, poisonous,

Tightly coiled,
slithery serpents.

[Martin]
and that isn't true
at all...

[Allison]
especially
not about garter snakes,

Who are completely harmless.

[Chris]
yeah. All a garter snake
really wants to be doing

Is slurping up a long,
juicy, squiggly worm.

[Martin]
hey, chris, you notice
something familiar?

[Chris]
what do you mean?

[Martin]
the garter snakes
slurp up worms

The same way
you slurp up spaghetti.

[Chris]
anyway, raccoons
do eat snakes,

Especially raccoons
who live outside the city.

It's 9:45 a.m.,
And we're on a mission
to find out

What life's like
for raccoons who
don't live in the city.

If you're looking for raccoons
in their natural environment,

There are two things
you should look for--

Plenty of big trees

And a nearby water source
doesn't hurt.

This looks like
a good spot.

[Chris]
raccoons eat
an amazing variety of food--

Crickets, cherries, grapes,
and even frogs.

[Allison]
and they're great hunters
of crayfish, snails, newts--

Almost anything that lives in
a small body of water like this.

Talk about flexible eaters.

[Chris]
that pretty much sums up
the raccoon's entire diet.

The list of things he can eat
runs into the thousands.

That's amazing.

[Allison]
that isamazing.

[Allison]
you know
what's really cool?

Not just the variety
of food they eat,

But how they
go about catching it.

They're snatching
lots of grub,

And yet they're not even
really looking for it.

[Chris]
yeah. They're feelingfor it.

They feel around
in the water

Till they touch what seems
like a good piece of grub.

Then they snatch it,
examine it,

And pop it into their mouth
like popcorn.

Out here in the daytime,

The best places
to look for raccoons

Are in the hollows
or forks of trees.

But a raccoon's
natural camouflage

Lets it blend in
perfectly up there,

So you have to keep
a sharp lookout.

Otherwise, you'd miss...

A raccoon.

[Martin]
tree-climbing is an essential
raccoon skill.

They need to climb
to be able to get at food

And to find safe places
to sleep during the day.

But like any skill, it's one
that requires a little practice.

On the ground, raccoons
are pretty vulnerable

To predators like bobcats,
foxes, and coyotes,

So mom wastes no time

And teaches her kids the art
of tree-climbing right away.

These young raccoons
may seem kind of awkward

And a little clumsy,

But you got to keep in mind
that they're just learning.

I think it will be
a while yet

Before these kids learn
the finer points of climbing.

Whoops!

Oh, he's o.k.

Let's see what different
climbing skills

They're working on.

This one's practicing
on getting a sure grip.

These kids are learning
how to climb down headfirst.

It's not easy.

This guy
is mastering balance.

With mom's help,
these baby raccoons

Will soon become
climbing masters.

By the time they're old enough
to go off on their own,

Mom will have taught them what
they need to know to survive--

How to climb, hunt, find food,
and protect themselves.

[Allison]
did you know that the raccoon
isn't the only masked bandit?

The coati, the kinkajou,
and the red panda

Are all raccoon relatives.

They're all part of a family
called the procyonidae.

Coatis and kinkajous are found
in central and south america,

While the red panda
can only be found in asia.

Talk about
far-flung relatives!

Mother raccoons are really
protective of their young.

When a thr*at like a bobcat,
coyote, or dog is around,

The mother will lead
the predator away
from her young,

Putting herself in danger
to protect her babies.

Raccoons have
a bunch of predators

Snapping at their heels.

Oh, man. Look out.

[Allison]
one of the reasons raccoons
proliferate in the city

Is because these predators
aren't there in big numbers

Hunting them.

We're talking about cougars...

Golden eagles...

The lynx...

The great horned owl...

The wolf...

[Chris]
wait a second!

Yeah. Raccoons
have predators,

But raccoons
are hard to catch.

They're a good size,
they're tough...

And they can outclimb
almost anyone,
except maybe me.

What? He's going to
have to prove that one.

You got it.

We're going to have
the first ever

Kratts' creatures
climbing competition.

The climbing contest
is about to begin.

On your mark...
Get set...

Go!

Wow.

He's gaining on him.

Hurry, chris!

Oh, he b*at me!

Oh, man!

How do you feel?

Disappointed.

That raccoon really
took it to you.
What happened?

I was going good there
for a while.

Then he just took off.
I don't know how they do it.

I never realized
how hard raccoons
are to keep up with.

You can't track them
at night.

And during the daytime,
they hide out.

And they can disappear
in every little nook
and cranny.

Well, raccoons like
to be left alone,

And there's more
than one reason we should
give them their space.

We've had a lot of fun
tracking down

Our buddy the raccoon.

Raccoons are great to watch,

But you should never
try to touch or pick up
a wild raccoon.

That's because
while human civilization

Has given raccoons
relief from some predators

And easy access to food,

It also has a downside,

Because raccoons are more likely
to get diseases, like rabies.

Yeah. But how can you tell
if a raccoon has rabies?

Well, one of the signs
is if you see a raccoon

Wandering around
in the middle
of the day...

Looking sick, weak, unafraid,
and drooling at the mouth...

And acting aggressive
and unpredictable.

[Martin]
inside this cube
is a vaccine against rabies.

[Chris]
we're spreading
these cubes around

Where raccoons
will find them.

[Martin]
now, the cubes
are flavored like fish,

So raccoons
love to eat them.

[Chris]
and when they do, they're
protected against rabies.

[Martin]
this kind of vaccination
is a new approach

To solving an old problem.

[Chris]
preventing the spread
of rabies is important,

And another way to help

Is by making sure your pet
has his rabies sh*ts.

We've learned so much about
the infamous masked bandits.

They're a clever
and resourceful creature

Who can adapt
to most situations
and environments.

They protect their young

And are really good
at getting away from predators.

[Chris]
speaking of getting away,

What happened to that raccoon
we saw last night?

Search me.

Whoa.

[Allison]
we think we found the trail

Of our elusive raccoon.

What better place to find him
than the creature club?

After all,
in the creature club,

You're bound to find
almost any creature.

[Martin]
I think we've definitely learned
how the raccoon earned his name,

The backyard bandit.

[Chris]
there's no denying
that the bandit is sneaky,

Cunning, stealthy, and a master
of escape and mischief.

[Martin]
but there's also no denying
that the bandit is intelligent,

Flexible, dexterous,

And a master of survival
and adaptability.

[Chris]
all of the above is true.

The raccoon
is an amazing animal

That deserves its place
in the wild

And in our cities, too.

[Allison]
when it comes to the creatures
in our own backyard,

We've got to learn
all we can about them,

Both for safety reasons

And because we're sharing
that backyard with them,

And we have to learn
to respect our neighbors.

Right, guys?
Guys?

[People yelling]

[Allison]
man, the neighbors
are after them.

Looks like the guys
took creature imitating

A little too far
this time.

For this neighborhood,

Chris and martin are
two backyard bandits too many.