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 . The raccoon ( [ rəˈkuːn ] or [ USræˈkuːn ] , Procyon lotor ) , sometimes spelled racoon , also known as the common raccoon , North American raccoon , northern raccoon and colloquially as coon , is a medium-sized mammal native to North America .