Japanese Raccoon Dog

Japanese raccoon dog
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Canidae
Genus:	Nyctereutes
Species:	N. procyonoides
Subspecies:	N. p. viverrinus
Trinomial name
Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus

The Japanese raccoon dog, also known as tanuki (狸 or タヌキ^?) in Japanese, is conventionally considered as two subspecies of the raccoon dog, hondo-tanuki (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus), and ezo-tanuki (Nyctereutes procyonoides albus). Their common Japanese name is often mistakenly translated into English as "badger" or "raccoon". Despite these mistranslations, the tanuki is not related to raccoons or badgers; the "raccoon-dog" is part of the evolutionary family that includes foxes, wolves, and dogs.

Taxonomic dispute

Japanese raccoon dogs at Fukuyama, Hiroshima

Taxidermy of an ezo-tanuk, Hokkaido, wearing the waraji' on its feet and standing, displayed in Morinji, Gunma

There is some debate in the scientific community regarding speciation between the other subspecies of raccoon dog and the Japanese subspecies in that due to chromosome, behavioral and weight differences, the Japanese raccoon dog should be considered a separate species from the other subspecies.^[1]

Genetic analysis confirmed unique sequences of mtDNA, classifying the Japanese raccoon dog as a distinct isolation species, based on evidence of eight Robertsonian translocations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Canid 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.^[2]

Cultural significance

Main article: Tanuki

As the tanuki, the animal carries historical and cultural significance in Japan. Traditionally, different areas of Japan would have different names for raccoon dogs as animals, which would be used to denote different animals in other parts of the country, however the official word in the standard Tokyo dialect is now "tanuki", a term that carries folkloric significance. It is also a common theme in Japanese art, especially in statuary.

References

1. ^ Kauhala, Kaarina (1994). "The Raccoon Dog: a successful canid". Canid News 2: 37–40. http://www.canids.org/PUBLICAT/CNDNEWS2/racoondg.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-19. 
2. ^ Nie, Wenhui; Jinhuan Wang, Polina Perelman, Alexander S. Graphodatsky, Fengtang Yang (November 2003). "Comparative chromosome painting defines the karyotypic relationships among the domestic dog, Chinese raccoon dog and Japanese raccoon dog" (fee required). Comparative chromosome painting defines the karyotypic relationships among the domestic dog, Chinese raccoon dog and Japanese raccoon dog 11 (8): 735–740. doi:10.1023/B:CHRO.0000005760.03266.29. http://www.springerlink.com/content/n32l1k5t13l2k530/. Retrieved 2008-08-19. 

External links

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System Report: Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus