Japanese Raccoon Dog

Open encyclopedia reference

The Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes viverrinus), also called the tanuki, is a species of canid that is endemic to Japan. It is one of two species in the genus Nyctereutes, alongside the common raccoon dog (N. procyonoides), of which it is considered to be a subspecies by some taxonomic authorities.

In Japan, raccoon dogs have had a prominent role in folklore since ancient times. They are reputedly mischievous and jolly, masters of disguise and shapeshifting, but somewhat gullible and absent-minded. The animals are common in Japanese art, particularly as statues.

Wikipedia contributors, Japanese raccoon dog; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:39:58.997801+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Nyctereutes viverrinus (Temminck, 1839)

Name authority

(Temminck, 1839)

Common name

Japanese Raccoon Dog

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Carnivora

Family

Canidae

Genus

Nyctereutes

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
9. subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
10. infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
11. orderCarnivora Bowdich, 1821
12. suborderCaniformia Kretzoi, 1938
13. familyCanidae G. Fischer von Waldheim, 1817
14. genusNyctereutes Temminck, 1838
15. speciesNyctereutes viverrinus (Temminck, 1839)

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Nyctereutes. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 30 records assigned to Canidae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1271668 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:QPQMG. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.