Final answer:
Raccoons can fit through very small spaces as small as 4 inches in diameter due to their flexible bodies. This ability helps them forage for food and find shelter and often brings them into conflict with humans when they enter homes through small openings.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves how small of a gap a raccoon can fit through, which pertains to the biological abilities of raccoons, specifically their flexibility and skeletal structure. Raccoons are known for their ability to squeeze through very small spaces. This capability is due to the fact that raccoons have a highly flexible body; they can compress their bodies to fit through narrow openings. It has been observed that raccoons can fit through gaps as small as 4 inches in diameter, which is quite small considering the size of an adult raccoon.
Their skill at fitting through small gaps is utilized when they are foraging for food or seeking shelter. It's also what sometimes makes raccoons a challenge in urban environments, as they can enter homes through small openings. This ingenuity and flexibility, while advantageous to the raccoon in the wild and in urban settings, often lead them to be considered 'nuisance' animals when they intrude into human dwellings.