Showing posts with label racoon dog. shimonohara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label racoon dog. shimonohara. Show all posts

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Two Tanuki


t357

For a couple of months I have been enjoying the daily visit to my backyard by the local badger.

A couple of weeks ago there was an enormous fight right outside my window. It was dark and the weeds were high so I was unable to see what was fighting.

t363

Since then the badger has not been seen, but each afternoon or early evening we get a visit from a pair of tanuki. I'm guessing it was they who fought the badger and won, though I am surprised. I would have thought the badger was stronger, but the tanuki are faster and there are two of them....

t365

I'm guessing they are a mating pair as fall is the mating season. In English they are called racoon dogs. They look a little like racoons but are unrelated. They are related to dogs and foxes.

t368

They are common to see, though its unusual to get to see them so close. They are the most common form of roadkill.

t369