Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing tanuki. When you see this animal, what do you think of? Some of you may have thought of a raccoon, and that's one of the other common names for a tanuki. Tanuki are also known as raccoon dogs, and it's debated how many raccoon dog species exist. Some sources separate common raccoon dogs from the Japanese raccoon dog. Among genetic differences, tanuki have shorter fur and smaller skulls than common raccoon dogs. We'll be focusing specifically on the Japanese species in this episode!

You've probably heard of tanuki from Japanese media. Tom Nook is a popular, well known tanuki from the game Animal Crossing, though he's often mistranslated as a raccoon, which tanuki are not. These mammals are canids like a wolf or a fox. Superficially, tanuki are similar to raccoons in appearance. They have a black mask like a raccoon, which is why they get this common name, but they lack a raccoon's iconic ringed tail! Tanuki are more closely related to dogs than raccoons. Raccoons aren't even canids! Like grey foxes, tanuki have retractable claws and can climb trees! Generally these mammals are brown in color, but sometimes they appear white!

Raccoon dogs in general are native to east Asia, but they've also been introduced to Europe for fur-farming. Tanuki are native to Japan. Here they're known as trickster spirits with shape shifting abilities and large testicals. It's important to note tanuki are real animals, they can't change shape - though we have more to discuss on that - and they have average sized testicals for a canind. Sorry to any tanuki fans out there planning to ride a boat scrotum in the near future. These shy mammals can be found in urban areas to mountainous regions and they have a preference for habitats with water and dense undergrowth. 

It's unknown how many tanuki are alive in the wild. Currently they're listed as least concern, but human interactions that lead to tanuki fatalities have increased over the past few decades. Japanese raccoon dogs are hit by cars and hunted for their fur. Aside from Mukojima, where they're considered a national monument, there aren't any specific protections on their populations in Japan as of this recording, so we'll have to see what that means for their population as more research is completed. As it stands, they're generally considered a rare sight in Japan. This could be due to their nocturnal nature - I mean, how many viewers regularly see foxes - though some sources indicate tanuki move throughout the day, as well. Owls and eagles as well as domestic dogs are other threats to tanuki.

These canids are omnivores. Surprisingly, fruit makes up a large portion of their diet. Tanuki are seed dispersers. They eat fruit and drop the seeds in their feces away from where their fruit was originally obtained. They also eat insects and crustaceans and sometimes take small animals like mice and birds. They'll also eat from a deer carcass if the opportunity arises. Tanuki generally form mating pairs or small packs of non-breeding animals. Sometimes they travel in solitude. In a single area, multiple tanuki will share a single spot for defecation and urination indicating they don't use waste for territory marking and are relaxed to territory boundaries. 

Tanuki are believed to be monogamous even through subsequent breeding seasons. Like the fossa we discussed recently, tanuki become knotted for a short while after mating. A female gestates for just over two months and gives birth to four to six pups in a den. The pups are raised by both parents and become independent once they reach three months old. They're able to mate within their first year of life. In the wild, tanuki live to be about eight years old.

We mentioned that tanuki are known as shape shifters. While they're not able to fully change their form, these canids do look quite different between summer and winter. In summer they're sleek with short fur; but during the winter they pack on the pounds and grow out a winter coat! Raccoon dogs are even known to hibernate during the coldest parts of the year in some areas. On average, tanuki are smaller than their mainland counterparts. They weigh about ten pounds (4.5kg) which is similar to the weight of your average housecat!

Though they're known as raccoon dogs, tanuki don't bark. Here's an example of what a tanuki sounds like.

For more facts on tanuki, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!