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viverrinus in Mammal Species of the World, but comparative morphometric analysis supports recognizing the Hokkaido population as a distinct subspecific unit. viverrinus albus if recognized as a distinct species). The raccoon dogs from Hokkaido are sometimes recognized as a different subspecies from the mainland tanuki as Nyctereutes procyonoides albus (Hornaday, 1904) (or N. viverrinus as a valid species in their Mammal Diversity Database. Aggregators on mammal taxonomy are inconsistent: Like the IUCN, Mammal Species of the World (2005) considers the Japanese raccoon dog to be a subspecies, whereas the American Association of Mammologists include N. 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 of speciation. The karyotype of Japanese raccoon dogs is different from that of the mainland raccoon dogs. 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. Genetic analysis has confirmed unique sequences of mtDNA, classifying the Japanese raccoon dog as a distinct isolation species, based on evidence of eight Robertsonian translocations. viverrinus was a distinct species, it was later classified as such by the American Society of Mammalogists. However, following morphological and genetic analysis across multiple studies, all of which indicated that N. albus, but both views were controversial. viverrinus, or that raccoon dogs of Japan could be further divisible into separate subspecies as N. Researchers have suggested that they be considered a separate species, N. The Japanese raccoon dog is sometimes classified as its own distinct species due to unique chromosomal, behavioral, and morphological characteristics absent in mainland raccoon dogs. (video) Several raccoon dogs at Tobu Zoo in Saitama prefecture They have been observed to climb trees to forage for fruits and berries, using their curved claws to climb. Japanese raccoon dogs live for 7–8 years in the wild, and have reached the age of 13 in captivity. The parents look after their pups at a den for around a month, and then for another month after the pups leave the den.
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A litter (typically with 4–6 pups) is born after a gestation period of 9 weeks. The breeding period for the species is synchronized between females and males and lasts between February and April. Usually social groups are limited to a breeding pair, but individual Japanese raccoon dogs may stay in a group of non-paired individuals until they find a mate. They assume a defensive posture similar to that of other canids, lowering their bodies and showing their bellies to submit. Like cats, the Japanese raccoon dog arches its back when it is trying to intimidate other animals however, They vocalize by growling or with groans that have pitches resembling those of domesticated cats. The Japanese raccoon dog is mainly nocturnal, but they are known to be active during daylight. The North American raccoon ( Procyon lotor) is translated as araiguma ( アライグマ, 洗熊) in Japanese, while badger is translated as anaguma ( 穴熊, lit. Traditionally, different areas of Japan had different names for raccoon dogs as animals, which would be used to denote different animals in other parts of the country, including badgers and wild cats however, the official word in the standard Tokyo dialect is now tanuki, a term that also carries the folkloric significance. Tanuki is often mistakenly translated into English as " badger" or " raccoon" (as used in the English translation of the film Pom Poko and outlined in Tom Robbins' book Villa Incognito), two unrelated types of animals with superficially similar appearances.
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In the modern Tokyo standard dialect, tanuki refers to raccoon dogs and anaguma refers to badgers. An animal known as tanuki in one region may be known as mujina in another region. In local dialects, tanuki and mujina ( 狢, kyujitai: 貉) can refer to raccoon dogs or the Japanese badger. While tanuki are prominent in Japanese folklore and proverbs, they were not always clearly distinguished from other animals with a similar appearance.