Mainland Raccoon Dog

About the Mainland Raccoon Dog

The common raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), also called the Chinese or Asian raccoon dog to distinguish it from the Japanese raccoon dog, is a heavy-set, fox-like canid native to East Asia. Named for its raccoon-like face markings, it is most closely related to foxes. Common raccoon dogs feed on many animals and plant matter, and are unusual among canids (dogs, foxes, and other members of the family Canidae) in that they hibernate during cold winters and can climb trees. They are widespread in their native range, and are invasive in Europe where they were introduced for the fur trade. The similar Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes viverrinus, the tanuki), native to Japan, is the only other living member of the genus Nyctereutes.

The closest relatives of the common raccoon dogs are the true foxes, not the raccoon, which is one of the musteloids, and not closely related. Among the Canidae, the common raccoon dog shares the habit of regularly climbing trees only with the North American gray fox, which is neither a true fox nor a close relative of the common raccoon dog.

Due to the fur trade, the common raccoon dog has been widely introduced in Europe, where it has been treated as a potentially hazardous invasive species. In Scandinavia, it is called "marten-dog" (Swedish: mårdhund, Norwegian and Danish: mårhund). In Europe, since 2019, the common raccoon dog has been included on the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern (the Union list). This implies that this species cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of the European Union. Wikipedia →