The Tanuki – The Japanese Racoon Dog

Endemic to Japan, the Tanuki (otherwise known as the Japanese Racoon Dog) isn't a dog even though it's a canid and one thing is for sure - this is not a racoon either.  Deeply embedded in Japanese folklore this elusive canid still roams the countryside as it has done since time immemorial.  Our sibling site, the Ark in Space has a neat set of facts about the tanuki.  I know it's in the eye of the beholder, but I think this is one of the cutest mammals around...

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