TheJapanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes viverrinus), also called thetanuki, is a species ofcanid that isendemic to Japan.[1] It is one of two species in the genusNyctereutes, alongside thecommon raccoon dog (N. procyonoides),[2] of which it is considered to be a subspecies by some taxonomic authorities.
Illustration of the "Nyctéreute viverrin"(in French) in the first edition ofFauna Japonica, published in 1842.
The species was first described by the naturalistCoenraad Jacob Temminck, based on specimens sent from Japan byPhilipp Franz von Siebold during his travels in the 1820s. It was regarded as a distinct species on the basis of its fur colour.[3] The termviverrinus refers to animals of the genusViverra from India, to which the species bears some resemblance.[4] A translation of this scientific name has previously appeared in English as "Viverra dog".[5] It was later adopted in certain Western languages, such as the Italian "Cane viverrino", but most notably in the French term "Chien viverrin".
The Japanese nametanuki (タヌキ, 狸,tanuki),[6] sometimes written "tanooki" or "tanouki", of uncertain etymology, may derive from the wordstaneko (田猫; "field cat"),tanoke (田之怪; "apparition of fields"),tanuki (手貫; "hand guard"),dashinuki (出し抜き; "playing dead") ortamashinuki (魂抜き; "losing one's soul"), the latter two referring to the animal's use ofthanatosis as a defense mechanism.[7]
The Japanese raccoon dog has a smaller stomach and shorter fur of lesser insulation value than mainland raccoon dogs.[6] A white color type is rare.[8] In mainland Japan,oculocutaneous albinism is caused by a mutation in the third and fifthexon of the TYRnucleotide sequence, which is responsible for melanin pigmentation.[9]
The Japanese raccoon dog is mainlynocturnal.[10] It vocalizes by growling or with groans that have pitches resembling those of the domesticatedcat. Like the cat, its back arches to intimidate other animals. It assumes a defensive posture similar to that of other canids, showing submission by lowering its body and showing its belly.
Usually, social groups are limited to a breeding pair, but the individual Japanese raccoon dog may stay in a group of non-paired individuals until finding a mate.[11]
The species is predominantlymonogamous. The breeding period for the species is synchronized between females and males and lasts between February and April. A litter (typically with 4–6 pups) is born after agestation period of 9 weeks. The parents look after their pups at a den for around one month, and then for another month after the pups leave the den.
Japanese raccoon dogs live for 7–8 years in the wild and have reached the age of 13 in captivity.[11]
It has been observed climbing trees to forage for fruits and berries,[12][13] using their curved claws to climb.[14]
Japanese raccoon dogs at Fukuyama, HiroshimaSeveral raccoon dogs are at Tobu Zoo in Saitama prefecture.
The Japanese raccoon dog is classified as its own distinct species due to uniquechromosomal,behavioral, andmorphological characteristics absent in mainland raccoon dogs.[15] Genetic analysis has confirmed unique sequences ofmtDNA, classifying it as a distinctisolation species, based on evidence of eightRobertsonian translocations. Following morphological and genetic analysis across multiple studies, all of which indicated thatN. viverrinus was a distinct species, it was later classified as such by theAmerican Society of Mammalogists.[2][16] However, theInternational Union for Conservation of NatureCanid Group's Canid Biology and Conservation Conference in September 2001 rejected the classification of the Japanese raccoon dog as a separate species, but its status is still disputed, based on its elastic genome.[17] Aggregators on mammal taxonomy are inconsistent on the issue. Both the IUCN andMammal Species of the World (2005) consider the Japanese raccoon dog to be a subspecies of thecommon raccoon dog (N. procyonoides), whereas the American Society of Mammalogists includesN. viverrinus as a valid species in its Mammal Diversity Database.[18][19]
Thekaryotype of Japanese raccoon dogs is different from that of the mainland raccoon dogs.[20] Though it is unknown whether mainland raccoon dogs and Japanese raccoon dogs can produce fertile offspring, it is assumed that the chromosomal differences between them would have deleterious effects on the fertility of the potential offspring and this would be indicative ofspeciation.[21][17][22]
Researchers suggest that raccoon dogs of Japan could be further divisible into separate subspecies asN. p. procyonoides andN. p. albus, but both views are controversial.[17] The raccoon dogs fromHokkaido are sometimes recognized as the subspeciesNyctereutes viverrinus albus, a taxon that is synonymized withN. p. viverrinus inMammal Species of the World,[20][18] but comparative morphometric analysis supports recognizing the Hokkaido population as a distinct subspecific unit.[20][23]
TheIUCN places the raccoon dog at "least concern" status due to the animal's wide distribution in Japan and abundant population, including as an introduced species throughout northeastern Europe. In many European countries, it is legal to hunt raccoon dogs, as they are considered a harmful andinvasive species.[24] In Japan, the species is hunted mainly to prevent crop damage; however, its fur is desired for use incalligraphy brushes and was exported chiefly to the United States before the outbreak ofWorld War II. The animal suffers a conservative estimate of up to 370,000 deaths by vehicles each year in Japan.[11]
Raccoon dogs, known in Japanese astanuki, have a long history in Japanese legend and folklore.Bake-danuki is a kind of supernatural being in the classics, folklore, and legends of various places in Japan.
Although the raccoon dog is a real animal, thebake-danuki that appears in literature has always been depicted as a strange or supernatural creature. Its earliest appearance in literature is in the chapter aboutEmpress Suiko in theNihon Shoki written during theNara period, with such passages as "in two months of spring, there aretanuki in the country of Mutsu,[25] they turn into humans and sing songs".[26][27][28]Bake-danuki subsequently appear in such classics as theNihon Ryōiki[27][29][30] and theUji Shūi Monogatari.[27] In some regions of Japan,bake-danuki reputedly have abilities similar to those attributed to foxes, in that they can shapeshift into other things or people,[27][30] and can possess human beings.[27][31]
The Japanese raccoon dog (or its folklore versionbake-danuki) is a recurring theme in Japanese popular culture. The first exposure of non-Japanese totanuki usually comes through exported Japanese media. In translation, they are often described or assumed as theraccoon.[33]
InNintendo's video games,Mario can wear aTanooki Suit with the appearance of atanuki, so he can fly and shapeshift into anOjizō-sama statue, much like abake-danuki. This power-up is based on the mythology oftanuki using leaves to transform.[33]
The 1994Studio Ghibli filmPom Poko features a group oftanuki using shapeshifting powers to defend their habitat against human developers.[34]
A running joke in theOne Piecemanga andanime series is that the characterTony Tony Chopper, a shape-shiftingreindeer, is frequently mistaken for atanuki by other characters. In return, he angrily corrects them that he is a "tonakai" (Japanese for "reindeer").[35]
The 2020Studio Trigger TV animeBNA: Brand New Animal features main protagonist Michiru Kagemori, a humanoid shape-shiftingtanuki who is often mistaken as a raccoon.[36]
^Temminck, C.J. & Schlegel, H. (1842–1845).Fauna Japonica, sive Descriptio animalium, quae in itinere per Japoniam, jussu et auspiciis superiorum, qui summum in India Batava imperium tenent, suscepto, annis 1823–1830. V, Mammalia. Lugduni Batavorum: Apud Auctorem.Read online, p. 5.
^abcIshibashi, Ohdachi; Saitoh, Iwasa (July 2009).The Wild Mammals of Japan. pp. 216–217.
^Kauhala, K.; Saeki, M. (2004)."Raccoon Dog"(PDF). Canid Species Accounts. Pridobljeno: IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 19 February 2009. Retrieved15 April 2009.
^Ikeda, Hiroshi (August 1986). "Old, new tricks: Asia's raccoon, a venerable member of the canid family is pushing into new frontiers".Natural History.95 (8): 40, 44.
^abcNie, Wenhui; Wang, Jinhuan; Perelman, Polina; Graphodatsky, Alexander S.; Yang, Fengtang (November 2003). "Comparative chromosome painting defines the karyotypic relationships among the domestic dog, Chinese raccoon dog and Japanese raccoon dog".Chromosome Research.11 (8):735–740.doi:10.1023/B:CHRO.0000005760.03266.29.PMID14712859.S2CID44979180.
^Mayr, Ernst (January 1963).Animal Species and Evolution. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 811.Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved15 November 2019.
^The translation of this into modern Japanese is on page 13 ofDiscover Yōkai Nihon Yōkai Daihyakka (『DISCOVER妖怪 日本妖怪大百科 VOL.07』). Furthermore, the「狢」in the document here are notmujina, but rather, signifytanuki
