Japanese raccoon dog

TheJapanese raccoon dog(Nyctereutes viverrinus),also known by its Japanese nametanuki(Japanese:狸, タヌキ),is a species ofcanidendemicto Japan. It is one of two species in the genusNyctereutes, alongside thecommon raccoon dog(N. procyonoides),of which it was traditionally thought to be a subspecies (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus).
The Japanese raccoon dog has a smaller stomach and shorter fur of lesser insulation value than mainland raccoon dogs.A rare, white colour type can also be found.
InJapanese folklore, Japanese raccoon dogs (tanuki) have had a significant role since ancient times. They are reputed to be mischievous and jolly, masters of disguise andshapeshiftingbut somewhat gullible and absent-minded. The animals have also been common in Japanese art, particularly as subjects for statues.
While Japanese raccoon dogs are prominent in Japanese folklore and proverbs, they were not always clearly distinguished from other animals with a similar appearance.
Japanese raccoon dogs are often mistakenly translated into English as "badger" or "raccoon" (as used in the English translation of the filmPom Pokoand outlined inTom Robbins' bookVilla Incognito), two unrelated types of animals with superficially similar appearances. Traditionally, different areas of Japan had different names for raccoon dogs as animals, which would be used to denote different animals in other parts of the country, including badgers and wild cats.
The Japanese raccoon dog is mainly nocturnal, but they are known to be active during daylight. They vocalize by growling or with groans that have pitches resembling those ofdomesticated cats. Like cats, the Japanese raccoon dog arches its back when it is trying to intimidate other animals; however, they assume a defensive posture similar to that of other canids, lowering their bodies and showing their bellies to submit.
Usually, social groups are limited to a breeding pair, but individual Japanese raccoon dogs may stay in a group of non-paired individuals until they find a mate.
The species is predominantly monogamous. The breeding period for the species is synchronized between females and males and lasts between February and April. A litter (typically with 4–6 pups) is born after agestation periodof 9 weeks. The parents look after their pups at a den for around a month, and then for another month after the pups leave the den.
Japanese raccoon dogs live for 7–8 years in the wild and have reached the age of 13 in captivity.
They have been observed to climb trees to forage for fruits and berries,using their curved claws to climb.
The Japanese raccoon dog is sometimes classified as its own distinct species due to uniquechromosomal,behavioral, andmorphologicalcharacteristics absent in mainland raccoon dogs.Researchershave suggested that they be considered a separate species,N. viverrinus, or that raccoon dogs of Japan could be further divisible into separate subspecies asN. p. procyonoidesandN. p. albus, but both views were controversial. However, following morphological and genetic analysis across multiple studies, all of which indicated thatN. viverrinuswas a distinct species, it was later classified as such by theAmerican Society of Mammalogists.
Genetic analysis has confirmed unique sequences ofmtDNA, classifying the Japanese raccoon dog as a distinctisolation species, based on evidence of eightRobertsonian translocations. TheInternational Union for Conservation of NatureCanid Group's Canid Biology and Conservation Conference in September 2001 rejected the classification of the Japanese raccoon dog as a separate species, but its status is still disputed, based on its elastic genome.Thekaryotypeof Japanese raccoon dogs is different from that of the mainland raccoon dogs.Though it is unknown whether mainland raccoon dogs and Japanese raccoon dogs can produce fertile offspring, it is assumed that the chromosomal differences between them would have deleterious effects on the fertility of the potential offspring and this would be indicative ofspeciation.Aggregators on mammal taxonomy are inconsistent: Like the IUCN,Mammal Species of the World(2005) considers the Japanese raccoon dog to be a subspecies, whereas the American Society of Mammalogists includeN. viverrinusas a valid species in their Mammal Diversity Database.
The raccoon dogs fromHokkaidoare sometimes recognized as a different subspecies from the mainland tanuki asNyctereutes procyonoides albus(Hornaday, 1904) (orN. viverrinus albusif recognized as a distinct species). This taxon is synonymized withN. p. viverrinusinMammal Species of the World,but comparative morphometric analysis supports recognizing the Hokkaido population as a distinct subspecific unit.
TheIUCNplaces the raccoon dog at "least concern" status due to the animal's wide distribution in Japan and abundant population, including as an introduced species throughout northeastern Europe. In many European countries, it is legal to hunt raccoon dogs, as they are considered a harmful andinvasive species.In Japan the species is hunted mainly to prevent them from damaging crops; however, their fur is desired for use incalligraphybrushes and was exported chiefly to the United States before the outbreak ofWorld War II. The animal is a common victim of vehicle accidents, with conservative estimates of up to 370,000 Japanese raccoon dogs being killed by vehicles each year in Japan.
Japanese raccoon dogs have a long history in Japanese legend and folklore.Bake-danukiare a kind of supernatural beings found in the classics and in the folklore and legends of various places in Japan.
Although thetanukiis a real, extant animal, thebake-danukithat appears in literature has always been depicted as a strange, even supernatural animal. The earliest appearance of thebake-danukiin literature, in the chapter aboutEmpress Suikoin theNihon Shokiwritten during theNara period, there are such passages as "in two months of spring, there are tanuki in the country of Mutsu,they turn into humans and sing songs."Bake-danuki subsequently appear in such classics as theNihon Ryōikiand theUji Shūi Monogatari.In some regions of Japan,bake-danukiare reputed to have abilities similar to those attributed to foxes: they can shapeshift into other things or people,and can possess human beings.
Many legends oftanukiexist in theSado IslandsofNiigata Prefectureand inShikoku, and among them, like theDanzaburou-danukiof Sado, theKinchō-tanuki and Rokuemon-tanukiofAwa Province(Tokushima Prefecture), and theYashima no Hage-tanukiofKagawa Prefecture, thetanukithat possessed special abilities were given names, and even became the subject of rituals. Apart from these places,tanukiare treated with special regard in a few cases.
Tanuki (ortheir folklore version) are a recurring theme in Japanese popular culture. The first exposure of non-Japanese to tanuki usually comes through exported Japanese media. However, they are often described as "raccoons" in translation or assumed as such if no species is given.
Notable appearances of tanuki in popular culture include:
In Japanese slang,tanuki gao("raccoon dog face") can refer to a face that looks like that of the animal, or a person's facial expression of feigned ignorance.By contrast,kitsunegao("fox face") refers to people with narrow faces, close-set eyes, thin eyebrows, and high cheekbones.
A dish calledtanukijiru[ja]("tanukisoup") ceased to contain actual tanuki meat,but some rural stews do use tanuki.
Of Japanese noodles, the words "tanuki" and "kitsune" designate two varieties of theudonorsobadishes. Neither contain any of those meats. Tanuki udon/soba contains flakes of fried tempura batter ("tenkasu"), while kitsune udon/soba contains fried tofu ("abura-age").