Nyctereutes procyonoides
TAXONOMY
Canis procyonoides (Gray, 1834), Canton, China. The raccoon dogs from the islands of Japan are consistently smaller than those of the mainland and have a different chromosome count as well as other genetic differences. Genetic analysis shows that the raccoon dog is an early independent offshoot from the main canid line.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Chien viverrin; German: Marderhund.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The raccoon dog is a medium-sized canid. Its weight fluctuates markedly through the year. An average summer weight is 11.0 lb (5 kg) increasing to 16.5 lb (7.5 kg) before winter hibernation. It stands 7.9–9.8 in (20–25 cm) at the shoulder. The distinctive mask with a black muzzle and a broad white stripe across the forehead gives the species its common name. The very long coat makes the animal look stocky and barrel-like. Although its legs are not long in proportion to its body, they are not as short as those of several South American canids. The teeth are relatively small.
DISTRIBUTION
The original range of the species is the temperate lands of eastern Asia including China, Siberia, and Manchuria. It also inhabits the Japanese island chain. It was introduced to the USSR for fur farming in the 1920s and has spread widely. It is now found from Finland to Germany and east to the Himalayas.
HABITAT
The species lives in a variety of wooded and forested habitats. It prefers mixed woodlands and often uses water courses. It can tolerate some human encroachment.
BEHAVIOR
At high latitudes, the raccoon dog goes into a deep torpor during the winter, the only canid to hibernate. Groups of the animals sometimes occupy the same den for the winter. Individuals gain up to 50% of their body weight in the late summer and autumn. Males are usually the first to reach their hibernation weight with breeding females and young taking an extra month. Pairs occupy a common range although the degree of territoriality is not clear. Groups of raccoon dogs regularly gather at food sources, and breeding dens are sometimes clumped. The main source of mortality recorded for the species is predation by wolves and, less commonly, red foxes.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
The species has a varied diet, although insects and mice are often the most common items. Like the raccoon (Procyon spp.), they regularly eat fish and other aquatic foods like frogs, snails, and crabs. In the summer they may eat berries and fruits.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Monogamous. Breeding occurs in the early spring. After a gestation period of 59–64 days, three to eight pups are born in an underground burrow, often an old badger den. The male plays a very active role in raising the pups both provisioning his mate and young and staying at the den to protect the family. The pups reach maturity at about a year.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. The species appears to be continuing to expand its range in Europe. It has colonized much of the forested lands of Russia. In its native range it is still common in much of Japan. Information from other areas is sketchy, but it is known to be uncommon from areas of northern China that are now under industrial agriculture.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
No fewer than 200,000 raccoon dogs are hunted annually for their fur and a large number are harvested on fur farms. It has been considered an omnivorous pest, like its namesake, the raccoon, as it has spread across Asia. However, even in densely populated Japan, it has remained largely inconspicuous.
