Raccoon dog

The raccoon dog is a mammal from the canine family, native to East Asia. It closely resembles a raccoon in its fur and a small fox in its silhouette: a long and slender body (averaging 80 cm), relatively short legs, and a tail measuring 15 to 25 cm. With its abundant coat of long and supple fur, it has been intensively bred, particularly in Europe and Russia, where it subsequently spread invasively due to escaped or released individuals aimed at increasing production.

It is an opportunistic carnivore. It eats everything it finds: small mammals, birds, eggs, reptiles, fish, but also berries and mushrooms. Mainly active at dusk and during the night, it typically lives solitarily. It is the only canine that undergoes hibernation, sometimes for just a few days, when the temperature drops below -5°C. It inhabits forest edges, dense underbrush, and wetland areas, from lowlands up to an altitude of 3000 meters. Thanks to its claws, it climbs trees, and it also swims very well. The female gives birth to a litter of 5 to 7 pups.