The Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) is a member of the canid family (which includes dogs, wolves, and foxes) and is indigenous to east Asia. It is considered a basal canid species, resembling ancestral forms of the family. The raccoon dog is named for its resemblance to the raccoon (Procyon lotor), to which it is not closely related.
Tanuki is the Japanese word for the Japanese raccoon dog.