Discrimination of the number three by a raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Abstract

This paper reports the establishment of a discrimination based upon the number three in a male raccoon. Following a 6-month training period, the subject was able to select a clear Plexiglas cube containing 3 objects (grapes or small metal bells) from an array of cubes containing 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 items. The results confirm previous reports of "intelligence" in the raccoon, and extend the number of species in which sensitivity to number has been demonstrated (see review by Davis & Memmott, 1982). © 1984 Psychonomic Society, Inc.