Kingdom: Animals (Animalia)
Phylum (Phulum): Chordates (Chordata)
Subphylum (Subphulum): Vertebrates (Vertebrata)
Class (Classa): Mammals (Mammalia)
Order (Ordo): Carnivores (Carnivora)
Family (Familia): Dogs (Canidae)
Genus (Genus): Nyctereutes
Species (Species): Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes Procyonoides)
Raccoon Dog or Coonhound derives its name from resembling racoons. Anyhow, genuine racoon of North and South America belongs to Raccoon family (Procyonoidae) while Raccoon Dog is primitive dog that belongs to Canid family.
Appearance
It is 20–30 cm tall, the weight hugely differs depending on hibernation (hibernation is winter sleep of warm-blooded animals; the state of extremely slow metabolism and low body temperature during winter), between 3 and 10 kg. It is 50–65 cm long.
Lifestyle
They live in pairs and smaller groups. They are the only canids that hibernate. In the autumn they feed on meat and fruits in order to pack the fat and then retreat to their dens. They sleep throughout the winter and wake up in springtime. They are excellent swimmers and only canids that cannot bark.
Food
They are omnivores and they eat diverse food, from rodents and other small animals to fruits and acorns. Having in mind that they are great swimmers they catch frogs, fish and aquatic insects in streams and rivers. They also feed on carcasses so they dig trough junkyards and garbage looking for food remains.
Habitat
They inhabit East Asia, mainly the river valleys that are surrounded by dense forests. They most commonly populate riversides and areas around streams.