Raccoons are animals.
Mammals are any vertebrates within the class Mammalia ( [ məˈmeɪli.ə ] from Latin mamma #Latin `` breast '' ) , a clade of endothermic amniotes distinguished from reptiles ( including birds ) by the possession of a neocortex ( a region of the brain ) , hair , three middle ear bones and mammary glands . Mammals include the biggest animals on the planet , the great whales . Procyonidae is a New World family of the order Carnivora . Raccoon . Related females often share a common area , while unrelated males live together in groups of up to four animals to maintain their positions against foreign males during the mating season , and other potential invaders .