# Do Raccoons Have Hands? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 21, 2021, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037 "2021-01-21T01:04:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/1 "2021-01-21T01:04:20Z")
Is there a technical definition of “hands” in the Zoological Sciences? Raccoons, and lemurs, and pandas, and even mice have forepaws that have a lot of dexterity and versatility. But are they “hands” in a formal, scientifically-agreed-upon sense? ---
**Author:** ![CoconutPete](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coconutpete/32/5294_2.png) [@CoconutPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoconutPete)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/2 "2021-01-21T01:22:02Z")
Not sure but apparently they don’t have opposable thumbs like primates. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/3 "2021-01-21T01:24:49Z")
[According to Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon), raccoons don’t have opposable thumbs, ergo, they have paws and not hands. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/4 "2021-01-21T01:26:22Z")
It depends on context. A hand can refer to only animals with opposable thumbs, ie primates (including lemurs) and koalas; to any dexterous front appendage (racoons); or to any front appendage (the hand of birds and bats forms their wings, but the part of the hand that does so differs). ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/5 "2021-01-21T01:27:55Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > [According to Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon), raccoons don’t have opposable thumbs, ergo, they have paws and not hands Also according to Wikipedia, raccoons are generally referred to as having hands despite this: > [@](#): > > A **hand** is a [prehensile](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehensile), multi-[fingered](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger) appendage located at the end of the [forearm](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forearm) or [forelimb](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forelimb) of [primates](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primate) such as [humans](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human), [chimpanzees](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimpanzee), [monkeys](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey), and [lemurs](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemur). A few other [vertebrates](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertebrate) such as the [koala](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koala#Physical_description) (which has two [opposable thumbs](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumb#Opposition_and_apposition) on each “hand” and fingerprints extremely similar to human [fingerprints](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingerprint)) are often described as having “hands” instead of [paws](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paw) on their front limbs. The [raccoon](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon) is usually described as having “hands” though opposable thumbs are lacking.[[1]](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand#cite_note-1) ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/6 "2021-01-21T01:30:05Z")
I think saying that racoons have hands is anthropomorphizing them. **[Waxy monkey tree frogs](https://wildlifeinformer.com/list-of-animals-with-opposable-thumbs/#tree-frog)** have opposable thumbs but I would not say that means they have “hands.” IMHO hands are things used more for manipulating things than for walking on. I do not know what is the consensus in the scientific community. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/7 "2021-01-21T01:31:19Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > IMHO hands are things used more for manipulating things than for walking on. I do not know what is the consensus in the scientific community. All primates aside from humans walk on their hands as well as use them to manipulate things. And raccoons do a lot of manipulating. ---
**Author:** ![CoconutPete](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coconutpete/32/5294_2.png) [@CoconutPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoconutPete)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/8 "2021-01-21T01:35:08Z")
Also chimps have opposable big toes so one could argue they have four hands though I’ve never really seen anyone make that claim. Humans obviously don’t have opposable big toes but I’m pretty good at picking stuff up with my feet, therefore do I have four hands? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/9 "2021-01-21T01:37:33Z")
Dolphins have hands, although apparently in an early stage of development. > **[Dolphins Evolve Opposable Thumbs](https://www.theonion.com/dolphins-evolve-opposable-thumbs-1819565718)** > > HONOLULU–In an announcement with grave implications for the primacy of the species of man, marine biologists at the Hawaii Oceanographic Institute reported Monday that dolphins, or family Delphinidae, have evolved opposable thumbs on their pectoral... BTW, the dolphin laboratory Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory, mentioned in the article, was a real place for many years. [Bona-fide photo taken there](http://doggie.freeshell.org/pictures/dolphin.jpg), circa 1983. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/10 "2021-01-21T02:03:14Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Is there a technical definition of “hands” in the Zoological Sciences? To the best of my knowledge, no. “Hand” is an informal, popular term, not a technical one. As such, as indicated by **Babale** , it can be used with different meanings. Just defining it as an appendage with opposable digits would mean that many animals have “hands” on their feet.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/11 "2021-01-21T02:18:41Z")
If you’re looking for a scientific term for hands and hand-equivalents in other species, “forelimb” is probably as close as you’ll get. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/12 "2021-01-21T02:52:24Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > f you’re looking for a scientific term for hands and hand-equivalents Or a Bengali term: [Different things that have the same name (where you live) and nobody gets confused - Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS) - Straight Dope Message Board](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-things-that-have-the-same-name-where-you-live-and-nobody-gets-confused/930739) ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/13 "2021-01-21T07:34:24Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > [According to Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon), raccoons don’t have opposable thumbs, ergo, they have paws and not hands. We would be doomed if they had opposable thumbs. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/14 "2021-01-21T14:33:54Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > **[Waxy monkey tree frogs](https://wildlifeinformer.com/list-of-animals-with-opposable-thumbs/#tree-frog)** have opposable thumbs but I would not say that means they have “hands.” See, just not scientifically, those look like what I would hall hands. Plus he looks like he’s giving you the finger there. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/15 "2021-01-21T14:40:46Z")
If clocks can have hands, why can’t raccoons? English is screwy, sure enough. ---
**Author:** ![EdwardFound](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@EdwardFound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwardFound)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/16 "2021-01-21T22:44:19Z")
If raccoons used their forepaws for pointing, I would definitely say they were hands. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/17 "2021-01-22T01:29:44Z")
Grin! Thank you all! Wikipedia is a decent source, but **Colibri** seems to have the best factual answer, i.e., that there isn’t a formal scientific definition. That said, I vote for “yes, Raccoons have hands.” But where does one stop? Mice can pick things up quite dexterously! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/18 "2021-01-22T17:26:40Z")
[https://www.amazon.com/Raccoons-Playing-Professional-Taxidermy-Mounted/dp/B07D1D7X2P](https://www.amazon.com/Raccoons-Playing-Professional-Taxidermy-Mounted/dp/B07D1D7X2P) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/19 "2021-01-22T18:25:10Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > That said, I vote for “yes, Raccoons have hands.” But where does one stop? Mice can pick things up quite dexterously! With raccoons, I think it’s a combination of dexterity and perceived intelligence. Case in point: many years ago, the City of Toronto launched a composting program for kitchen waste, in support of which every household got a “green bin” for kitchen waste. This was a tall, narrow closed container secured by a “raccoon-proof latch”, so called because it was believed that raccoons would never figure it out, and even if they did, could not manage the manipulation required to unlatch it. But the bins contained what the raccoons felt was an irresistible banquet, and the only problem with the latch was that (a) the raccoons _ **did** _ figure it out, and (b) they _ **did** _ manage to unlatch it. 😀 The city eventually had to redesign and reissue the bins, this time presumably using designers who were smarter than raccoons. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037/20 "2021-01-22T18:36:53Z")
Looking at the “Raccoons Playing Poker” display a few posts up … A friend of mine in high school had a pet raccoon. I earnestly thought it would be possible to teach that raccoon to deal playing cards. Probably not shuffle, though 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-raccoons-have-hands/931037.md?page=2)