Rocky Raccoon stars in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, a scrappy, genius, tinkering with tools to solve problems of the universe. It’s not surprising that our raccoon neighbors inspired this character as these adorably masked nocturnal critters solve the trickiest problems to access food and shelter. 

In this episode, Critter Chat talks with cognitive ecologist Dr. Lauren Stanton, UC Berkeley and The Schell Lab, where she studies raccoon behavior and what makes them so adaptable to living among humans and thriving as their wild habitats have become increasingly more inhabited by humans. 

For more information, see critterchat.org or Instagram: critterchat1

Critter Chat tells stories of Sierra Nevada wildlife featuring interviews with experts in the field. Critter Chat is locally produced and hosted by Susan Brandt and Marney Blair. Critter Chat is a project of Rational Animal.   

Image credit: Raccoon, Lemongrass, works the puzzle box © Dr. Lauren Stanton