Raccoon or raccoon dog?
How to tell them apart
A raccoon dog is a fox-like wild dog from East Asia, named for its raccoon-like face markings. It’s most closely related to foxes.
Quick answers
They differ on 2 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous, hibernates.
| Question | Raccoon | Raccoon dog |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | Omnivore | Omnivore |
| Dangerous? differs | Can be | No |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? | Night | Night |
| Hibernates? differs | No | Yes |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? | In places | In places |
At a glance
| Question | Raccoon | Raccoon dog |
|---|---|---|
| Found in differs | North America, Europe, Asia | Asia, Europe |
| Habitat differs | Forest, Towns, Wetland | – |
| Size differs | Medium | Small |
| Length differs | 60–95 cm | 45–71 cm (total length) |
| Weight differs | 1.8–10.4 kg | About 3 kg in March; males 6.5–7 kg by late summer |
| Legs | 4 | 4 |
| Covered in | Fur | Fur |
| Lives differs | Alone | In pairs |
| Lives for differs | 2–3 years | 7–10 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Raccoon
A North American omnivore with dexterous front paws, a black face mask and a ringed tail. Its most important sense is touch, through extremely sensitive front paws.
Everything on the raccoon page
Raccoon dog
A heavy-set, fox-like wild dog of East Asia, named for its raccoon-like face. Unusually for a dog, it hibernates through cold winters and can climb trees. It was brought to Europe for the fur trade and has spread so widely that the EU now lists it as invasive.
Everything on the raccoon dog page
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.