Raccoon dogs are found in Asia and Europe. Although these beautiful dogs look like raccoons, they are not related.

Raccoon dogs are quick, intelligent omnivores and are most active at night. Below are some of the fascinating facts about this amazing animal.

Fun Facts About Raccoon Dogs:

• The raccoon dog's scientific name is Nyctereutes procyonoides, a Greek term that translates roughly to "the night wanderer."
• Raccoon dogs are opportunistic omnivores; they are equipped to eat any food that is most accessible, including snakes, carrion, mollusks, plants, lizards, bulbs, roots, insects, and small rodents.
• Raccoon dogs have a lifespan of between 6 and 11 years.
• Despite their name, these animals are not related to racoons, but instead are closely related to the fox.
• Raccoon dogs have very poor eyesight.
• These social animals live in pairs or small families. A group of raccoon dogs is referred to as a pack.
• These animals have an average of 6 babies per litter.
• Raccoon dogs are famed tricksters in Japanese Folklore, not Chinese Folklore.
• In its natural habitat in Asia, the raccoon dog is the only canid that hibernates as it sleeps through the cold in the winter months and pops out in the summer before the mating season. However, in Europe, they do not tend to hibernate unless a severe snowstorm makes them sleep.