Nyctereutes
(Redirected from
Raccoon dog
)
Nyctereutes Ma Late Miocene - recent
| |
---|---|
Common and Japanese raccoon dog | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Canidae |
Subfamily: | Caninae |
Genus: | Nyctereutes Temminck, 1838[2] |
Type species | |
Species | |
Nyctereutes (Greek: nyx, nykt- "night" + ereutēs "wanderer") is a
northern China. It was one of the earliest canines to arrive in the Old World. All but two species became extinct before the end of the Pleistocene. A study suggests that the evolution of Nyctereutes was influenced by environmental and climatic changes, such as the expansion and contraction of forests and the fluctuations of temperature and precipitation.[3]
Characteristics
They are typically recognized by their short snouts, round crania and the shaping of their molars, specifically the ratio between M1 and M2. Nyctereutes is considered mainly an opportunistic carnivore, feeding on small mammals, fish, birds, and insects, alongside occasional plants, specifically roots. Their diet is mostly influenced by environmental factors.[3] Japanese raccoon dogs are considered distinct from the mainland species because of the larger skull size found in Russian and Hokkaido raccoon dogs.[4]
Species
Extant species
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Common raccoon dog | Nyctereutes procyonoides (Gray, 1834) Four subspecies
|
Mongolia, Russian Far East, China, Korea, Vietnam; introduced to Europe |
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
LC
|
Japanese raccoon dog | Nyctereutes viverrinus (Temminck, 1838) |
Japan | Size: Habitat: Diet: |
LC
|
Fossil species
- †Nyctereutes abdeslami 3.6—1.8 Mya (Morocco)[5]
- †Nyctereutes donnezani 9.0—3.4 Mya (Eastern Europe, Spain)
- †Nyctereutes lockwoodi 3.42—3.2 Mya (Ethiopia)[6]
- †Nyctereutes megamastoides (Europe)[3]
- †Nyctereutes sinensis 3.6 Mya—781,000 years ago (Eastern Asia)[7]
- †Nyctereutes tingi[3]
- †Nyctereutes vinetorum[citation needed]
References
- ^ OCLC 62265494.
- ^ Temminck, C.J. (1838). "Over de Kennis en de Verbreiding der Zoogdieren van Japan" [On the Knowledge and Dissemination of the Mammals of Japan]. Tijdschrift voor Natuurlijke Geschiedenis en Physiologie (in Dutch). 5: 273–293.
- ^ S2CID 225565692.
- .
- ^ Paleobiology Database: ''Nyctereutes abdeslami basic info.
- S2CID 83954055.
- ^ Paleobiology Database: ''Nyctereutes sinensis basic info.
Further reading
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nyctereutes.
Wikispecies has information related to Nyctereutes.
- Wayne, Robert K. (June 1993). "Molecular evolution of the dog family". Trends in Genetics. 9 (6): 218–224. PMID 8337763.