Common raccoon dog

The common raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides, also called the Chinese or Asian raccoon dog, is a heavy-set, fox-like canid native to East Asia. It is named for the raccoon-like markings on its face, though its closest relatives are the true foxes and it is not closely related to the raccoon. It feeds on a wide range of animals and plant matter, and is unusual among canids in two ways: it hibernates through cold winters, and it climbs trees, a habit shared among canids only with the North American gray fox. Within its native range it is widespread. It was introduced to Europe for the fur trade and is now treated as a potentially hazardous invasive species; in Scandinavia it is called the marten dog. Since 2019 it has been on the European Union list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern, which bars its import, breeding, transport, sale and deliberate release across the Union. The only other living member of its genus is the Japanese raccoon dog, or tanuki, Nyctereutes viverrinus.