The Barbados raccoon ( Procyon lotor gloveralleni ) is a most likely extinct subspecies of the North American raccoon ( Procyon lotor ) that was endemic to the island of Barbados . According to experts, over 1000 years ago North American raccoons, which were brought to Barbados by Arawak Indians as pets , developed into an independent subspecies, which differed from the nominate form mainly in their smaller size, darker fur and larger teeth Has. The only existing copy is now kept in the Barbados Museum. The last reliable evidence dates back to 1964, when a raccoon was found on a road near Bathsheba in Saint Joseph Parish. Reasons for its disappearance are possibly the agricultural changes in the habitat as well as the pursuit by farmers. Today the nominate form of the raccoon lives in Barbados.
literature
Kristofer M. Helgen, Jesús E. Maldonado, Don E. Wilson and Sandra D. Buckner: Molecular Confirmation of the Origin and Invasive Status of West Indian Raccoons In: Journal of Mammalogy April 2008: Vol. 89, Issue 2 Apr 2008, p 282-291
Procyon lotor in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2008. Posted by: R. Timm, AD Cuarón, F. Reid, K. slipway, 2008. Accessed March 24 (Procyon classification as a subspecies of Procyon) 2009
