can raccoons unscrew carabiners or not? i've read yes and no here

[haTHOR]

i have latches that include the carabiners that screw shut. it takes many turns of the screw to open the carabiner enough to get it over the latch which can then be opened the normal way. i've see a lot of people say if a toddler/2 year old can open it, so can a raccoon. no way my 2 year old can open these. anybody had experience that proves me wrong with this typs latch/carabiner combo and raccoons?

 

[gryeyes]

There's NO way a raccoon can un-screw the carabiner.

That's why I chose those type, instead of the spring/clip kind.

 

[haTHOR]

is it because they do not have opposable thumbs? i have to use my thumb and forefinger to unscrew or screw it.

 

[haTHOR]

any other thoughts or opinions?

 

[gsim]

Quote:
They cannot do doorknobs as far as I know. Still, I lock my coop anyway overnight, every single night. Pop doors are 1/2" osb guillotine style. Firring strips at bottom outside to prevent lifting them up. Electrified pen 6' tall, set in cement. No losses yet and has been occupied since July 09.

 

[tammyd57]

I don't know if raccoons can unscrew them or not, but I know my parrot can, using just his beak. I used to use one on his cage latch to keep a 4-year-old from opening it when I wasn't looking. She never got it figured out but the bird could open it from inside the cage!
It's amazing what some animals are capable of.

 

[twentynine]

No I do not believe a racoon can unscrew a carabiner latch-------------BUT!

A racoon can not look at the carabiner and THINK-- ahhh it's a carabiner I need to unscrew it


BUT-------------

Them jokers are persistant, I think of it as the old saying about a 1000 monkeys. You take 1000 monkeys lock them in a room with 1000 type writers and in 1000 years they will have typed every word in the dictionary.

Racoons are just like that they will "play" with that latch all night long, and the chances of them getting it undone maybe slim, but they will work on it all night long.

 

[Jeep Hound]

Don't know about carabiners, but I've seen them unscrew the lids off peanutbutter jars.

 

[mistyfeather]

they will fiddle with it till they figure it out. once the succeed one time they will always remember how to do it after that. just use , if they figure it out use something ele. i would sugest that if you have several raccoons in your are to use something that locks with a key! if one raccoon learns how to do something they will all learn by watching it. especialy if its a moma teaching her babies. and YES they can turn door knobs! they just dont know they can untill they do it! they can open doors, cabinets with child proof latches, screw on jars , and refrigerators! once they know how to turn a door knob the only thing that works are those child safty knob covers ! my mom had them break into they house one time when they were gone for a week, i went in and found every cabinet opened the refrigerator opened and food EVERY WHERE ! and a raccoon sleeping in the shower!

 

[chickerdoodle]

Quote:
Raccoon sleeping in the shower!

oh, hoo--sorry, it probably wasn't funny when it happened.