Raccoon dogs (also known as a 'tanuki' or a Japanese raccoon dog) aren't raccoons - they're members of the canid (dog) family. They're native to the forests of eastern Siberia, northern China, North Vietnam, Korea and Japan.
Raccoon dogs are fascinating creatures, and here are a few other tidbits about them that are sure to intrigue: Raccoon dogs aren't common in the United States. In fact, in the US, Oklahoma City and Atlanta are the only two accredited zoos that care for raccoon dogs. Sadly, they've often been bred for their pelts.
Raccoons and Bears Share a Common Ancestor
So, the dog-cat division happened early in carnivore evolution. Raccoons arose within the Caniformia suborder. So, technically, the answer to our question is that raccoons are more "like dogs." But there's more to the story.
Dogs That Look Like Raccoons: Tanuki
The tanuki is a member of the canid family but is not a true dog. Because of their resemblance to raccoons, they are known as raccoon dogs. They are native to Asia and they live in pairs or small groups.
Raccoon dogs are from the Canidae family, while raccoons are from the Procyonidae family. They are not related to one another.
Biological Characteristics. The biological answer to whether foxes are cats or dogs is simple: they belong to the Canidae family, which means they are dogs.
Hyenas are not members of the dog or cat families. Instead, they are so unique that they have a family all their own, Hyaenidae. There are four members of the Hyaenidae family: the striped hyena, the “giggly” spotted hyena, the brown hyena, and the aardwolf (it's a hyena, not a wolf).
Raccoons and bears belong to the same clade of carnivorous mammals, but they are not 'small bears'! Their physique is similar to that of a bear and they are both predators, but the similarity is only due to their adaptation to a comparable way of life.
It has short, brown or blackish limbs, a heavy body, and rounded ears. Head and body length is 50–65 cm (20–26 inches); tail length, 13–18 cm; and weight, about 7.5 kg (16.5 pounds). Most active at night, the raccoon dog is omnivorous and feeds on small animals, fish, vegetation, and carrion.
A raccoon dog isn't suitable as pet as their needs simply can't be met in a typical household. We strongly discourage people from buying or keeping one as a pet. This is because: They're much more difficult to look after than you may imagine!
The Japanese government eventually made it illegal to import them or keep them as pets, but by then it was too late. The trouble truly started when many Japanese children who had kept pet raccoons imitated the beloved cartoon and released their own pet racoons into the wild.
By October, the pups, which by then resemble adults, unite in pairs. Sexual maturity is reached at 8–10 months. Their longevity is largely unknown; animals 6–7 years of age have been encountered in the wild, while captive specimens have been known to live for 11 years.
According to an expert the Atlantic interviewed about the incident, raccoon dogs are “intelligent” and “really inquisitive” but usually not particularly aggressive. In Europe, the raccoon dog is known mostly for being a threat to local ecosystems. Fur traders brought the animals into eastern Europe in the 1920s.
Raccoon dogs use vocalizations to communicate with each other. They do not bark, uttering instead a growl, followed by a long-drawn, melancholy whine. Males fighting for females may yelp and growl.
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.
Red pandas are the only living members of their taxonomic family, Ailuridae, while giant pandas are in the bear family, Ursidae.
The giant panda belongs to the Ursidae family (Bears) and the red panda belongs to its own taxonomically unique Family: Ailuridae. The giant panda and the red panda do however share some of the same characteristics and a common ancestor.
Vocal Sounds
Raccoons of all ages can make various types of noises including a chittering sound, purring, snorts, growls, snarls, whimpers and screams. Baby raccoon sounds can also include whining, mewing and crying. When calling out to each other, it's possible that a raccoon sounds like a screech owl's whistle.
Coyotes are canines, which means that they are genetically related to wolves and domesticated dogs. In general, coyotes appear "sleeker" than domesticated dogs, with a flatter forehead and a more pointed snout. Coyotes appear to have longer legs than domesticated dogs, while dogs appear to have deeper chests.
Lions don't eat hyenas. Surprisingly, lions do not munch on hyenas. They are both considered top predators, which lessens the possibility of them hunting each other. Hyenas are also carnivores with their diet consisting of decaying meat of animals, therefore lions do not find them appetizing.
In Africa, lions and packs of hyenas or painted dogs can kill leopards; in Asia, a tiger can do the same. Leopards go to great lengths to avoid these predators, hunting at different times and often pursing different prey than their competitors, and resting in trees to keep from being noticed.
Wolves Don't Make Good Pets
Since wolves are the long-ago relative of dogs, some people might think they can be taken in as pets. While a small research study indicates that wolf pups raised by people can get attached to them, these wild animals don't turn into adorable human companions.
Also known as the “lesser panda” or “fire fox” (among other names), red pandas inhabit an area that extends from the eastern Himalayas across Nepal, Bhutan, and northeast India to the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan in southwest China.
All introduced mammal species are prohibited as pets unless listed as exceptions. A sample of these prohibited mammals include: foxes • squirrels • ferrets/polecats/stoats • rabbits • hamsters • monkeys/marmosets • gerbils • weasels • dingoes.