Raccoon Dog

Class: Mammals

Order: Carnivores

Family: Canidae

Weight: 4-6 kg

Height: 33-40 cm

Body length: up to 80 cm

Color: Dark gray with a coffee or reddish tint. A black, indistinct stripe runs along the top of the back. The chest is almost black. The lower part of the body is whitish.

Age of sexual maturity: 9-11 months

Gestation period: about 60 days

Lifespan: 6-8 years

Habitat: Forest steppe, broadleaf forests from the Urals to Vietnam, China, the Amur region, Primorye, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula.

Diet: Omnivorous. Eats both animal and plant food: in summer—small rodents, birds and their eggs, frogs, beetles; in autumn—oats, berries, fallen fruits, etc.

Did you know?

• The raccoon dog rarely digs its own burrows, often using those made by foxes or badgers.
• Raccoon dogs enjoy long walks. In summer, they can travel up to 10 kilometers during one hunt, but in winter, their short legs often get stuck in the snow.
• When faced with danger, raccoon dogs often play dead rather than flee.
• In Japan, the raccoon dog is revered as a symbol of prosperity and happiness.