Nyctereutes

Nyctereutes (Ancient Greek: νύξ, νυκτ- [nýx, nykt-] 'night' + ἐρέυτης [eréutēs] 'wanderer') is a genus of canid with two extant species, the raccoon dogs: the common raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and the Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes viverrinus).^[1] Nyctereutes entered the fossil record 5.5 million years ago (Mya) in northern China. It was one of the earliest canines 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]

Nyctereutes[1] Temporal range: 5.332–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Late Miocene - recent
Common and Japanese raccoon dog
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Caniformia
Family:	Canidae
Subfamily:	Caninae
Tribe:	Vulpini
Genus:	Nyctereutes Temminck, 1838[2]
Type species
Canis viverrinus Temminck, 1838[1]
Species
N. procyonoides N. viverrinus

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

Genus Nyctereutes – Temminck, 1838 – two 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 N. p. procyonoides N. p. koreensis N. p. orestes N. p. ussuriensis	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 megamastoides fossil skull

• †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]}