Common Raccoon Dog: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Foxes and Raccoon Dogs · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. It is named for its raccoon-like face mask, but it is not a raccoon at all. Its closest relatives are foxes.
2. It is the only member of the dog family known to hibernate. Before winter it builds up extra fat under its skin.
3. Like the gray fox, it climbs trees. They are the only two members of the dog family that do this regularly.
4. It can even eat toads with poisonous skin. It makes lots of saliva to water down the poison.
5. A mother usually has 6 to 8 pups, and in rare cases as many as 15 or 16.

The quiz

1. Which animals are the raccoon dog's closest relatives?

• Raccoons
• Bears
• Foxes (correct)
• Cats

Despite its name and face mask, it is most closely related to foxes.

2. What makes the common raccoon dog unique in the dog family?

• It hibernates (correct)
• It migrates to Africa
• It sleeps hanging from branches
• It turns white in summer

It is the only canid known to hibernate.

3. Which other member of the dog family regularly climbs trees?

• The red fox
• The wolf
• The bat-eared fox
• The gray fox (correct)

It shares the habit of regular tree climbing only with the gray fox.

4. How does the raccoon dog cope with poisonous toads?

• It washes them in water first
• It makes lots of saliva (correct)
• It rolls them in mud
• It waits for them to dry out

Large amounts of saliva dilute the toxins.

5. How many pups does a raccoon dog mother usually have?

• 1 or 2
• 25 to 30
• 6 to 8 (correct)
• 50

Litters are usually 6 to 8 pups, rarely 15 or 16.

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