Order : CARNIVORA
Family : Canidae
Species : Nyctereutes procyonoides

Head-body length : up to 68 cm
Tail length : up to 25 cm
Weight : up to 6 kg

Within Southeast Asia the Raccoon Dog is only known from northernmost Vietnam, where it inhabits forested areas. In other parts of its range, for example Japan, it also occurs in farmlands and at the edges of towns and cities:  it has a broad elevational range, extending from lowlands up to subalpine regions. Kauhala & Saeki (2016) state that they are often found near water.

This relatively small wild dog, which weighs up to 6 kg (around the same size as the Red Fox), is mainly solitary and is typically more nocturnal than diurnal. It is omnivorous, with a diet that includes small vertebrates (e.g. rodents, frogs, fish), invertebrates (e.g. insects, crustaceans) and plant matter (e.g. fruits, berries).

It is of distinctive appearance with dark markings around the eyes, a pointed snout and erect ears. Its body is somewhat stocky and its tail is relatively short and thick. Its body fur is yellowish-brown, but on the back, rear of the flanks and elsewhere the fur is tipped with black.

The native range of this widespread species stretches from eastern Russia to China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan. In the extreme south its range extends into northern Vietnam.

The Raccoon Dog is hunted for its pelt, and it was for this reason that the species was introduced into parts of western Russia and eastern Europe. Subsequently its non-native range has spread to western Europe.

Fig 1 : A typical example of a Raccoon Dog, resting amongst dry, leaf litter. This is the subspecies N. p. viverrinus.


References :

Francis, C.M. 2019. A Field Guide to the Mammals of South-east Asia. Second Edition. New Holland. 416 pp.

Kauhala, K. & Saeki, M. 2016. Nyctereutes procyonoides. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T14925A85658776