Saturday, July 3, 2010

Raffles Museum Treasures: Raccoon dog

P1130886
Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)

Many specialists now think that the Japanese populations of raccoon dog are sufficiently distinct to be considered a separate species, known as the Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes viverrinus). This situation is similar to that of the European badger (Meles meles); once thought to range across the whole of temperate Eurasia from Ireland in the west to Japan in the East, the Asian populations have been split off into 2 distinct species: the Asian badger (Meles leucurus) of mainland temperate Asia, and the Japanese badger (Meles anakuma) of Japan.

Canid Species Accounts
The Raccoon Dog: a successful canid
Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs - 2004 Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan
IUCN Red List
ARKive
Animal Diversity Web
Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe
Cumulative Index for the Mammalian Species


(Photo by Lolamon)