There is a long-held myth that Raccoons wash their food. This comes from observations of them dunking their food in water when feeding in, and near, waterbodies. Even their Latin name (Procyon lotor) references this; “lotor” means “one who washes”. In reality, what they are doing is increasing their tactile ability by wetting their paws. Wetting their paws makes their pads softer. This helps them feel the details of their food better. They can then use this information to determine which parts to eat and how to access food within tricky items like mussels and nuts, for example.