r/pics • u/vastlysuperiorman • 10h ago

The Raccoon Dog, a fox relative, is the only member of the dog family that hibernates

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1.4k Upvotes
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99% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

70

u/undeadsasquatch 10h ago

Live action Chopper looking great!

2

u/OK_SpeakToMe 7h ago

He certainly is, see them around my neighbourhood. They are misunderstood as they roam the world.

44

u/Meraere 9h ago

Cutie Tanuki!

39

u/vicroc4 9h ago

In Japanese these are called "tanuki."

9

u/digginroots 7h ago

So that’s where Tanooki Mario comes from!

2

u/vicroc4 6h ago

Yep!

5

u/vastlysuperiorman 8h ago

Yeah! Some really fascinating culture around them, too. Just couldn't fit much in a 100 character title.

5

u/glowdirt 5h ago edited 2h ago

Here's a 95 character edited title that includes important information:

"The Raccoon Dog, a fox relative with normal sized testicles, is the only canine that hibernates"

•

u/RagamuffinT0p 2h ago

Normal relative to what?

3

u/vicroc4 6h ago

Makes sense. They really are neat little critters, too. It's sad that they so often get conflated with actual raccoons when Japanese media gets translated for the US market.

19

u/imadragonyouguys 9h ago

It looks concerned.

20

u/vastlysuperiorman 9h ago

Concerned that the photographer might not have snacks?

12

u/PeltGirl 9h ago

Huh, never knew dogs could hibernate. Bet that'd be handy for my lazy pup in winter. Nature's full of surprises.

3

u/Coakis 6h ago

Mine do for 20 hours a day.

8

u/JeffBoyarDeesNuts 8h ago

I bet his has magnificent balls, if Japanese folklore is to be believed.

6

u/Carbon-Base 9h ago

If One Tails and Nine Tails ever got together...

4

u/citizenjones 6h ago

Post it in r/aww and say it's your 'sweet chunky kitty'. The flames would be worth it.

6

u/vastlysuperiorman 6h ago

I genuinely considered asking for advice for my "obese cat" that keeps eating from the garage can.

8

u/tinyirishgirl 10h ago

So wonderfully beautiful.

The most intelligent eyes and that perfect expression.

3

u/DogsOfWarAndPeace 8h ago

Foxes can change form seven times, tanuki can transform eight.

4

u/Infinite_Walrus-13 6h ago

And they are available to be bought and eaten in wet markets all over China.

5

u/lego_not_legos 5h ago

And heavily abused for the fur trade.

A relatively tame video, but they're often treated even worse and horrendously slaughtered.

2

u/omygoshgamache 6h ago

Give it to meeeee!

2

u/MojoJojoSF 6h ago

I wondered what they looked like. It was one of the animals listed that started Covid in the meat market. Also civets and rats?

2

u/littlemusicteacher 5h ago

I... I... sort of... want one.

3

u/Shruglife 9h ago

cute. Id name him lil covid

1

u/LeifEricFunk 8h ago

Its fur is used in the Icelandic salmon fly called the Temple Dog, an example of a hair wing salmon fly. As in used for fishing.

•

u/RickBlane42 3h ago

That’s a fat boy

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u/Enough-Parking164 3h ago

Foxes are not canines. I believe the word is “Supine”.

•

u/sanguinare12 1h ago

Fox relative = dog?

1

u/ThisistheHoneyBadger 6h ago

They've never seen my brothers idiot/fat fucking golden retriever. That thing hibernates all day. He's a good boy though.

-6

u/Kracus 8h ago

Looks ai generated.

6

u/vastlysuperiorman 8h ago

It isn't. The article I got the picture from was posted in 2011. https://factzoo.com/book/raccoon-dog-night-wanderer/

0

u/Kracus 8h ago

Oh I believe you, just the way looks cause of the smile.