Dogs have the ability to “eat the whole world”, which is a terror to small creatures

At first glance, they look like raccoons but in fact the two species have nothing to do with each other. With a diverse diet, they are considered a “terror” to small creatures.

Tanuki is a wild animal of the Canid family endemic to Japan. They possess dense fur with a distinctive eye color. At first glance, they look very similar to raccoons, but in fact, these two species are not related at all.

Possessing a cute appearance like a stuffed animal, badger dogs are actually a terror to every small creature they meet. This animal has the ability to “eat the whole world” with a hungry stomach like a “bottomless barrel”. Thanks to their diverse diet, they are invading many parts of the world and wreaking havoc on ecosystems.

Although they belong to the dog family, raccoons are more closely related to foxes than domestic dogs and wolves. This hungry predator is the most omnivorous of any dog.

They eat many things, from tree roots, fish to birds. Rodents such as gerbils and hamsters are also on their menu. Even in swamps, badgers “eat” turtles and poisonous frogs. They protect themselves by secreting extra saliva to dilute the toxins.
Badger dogs have a diverse diet and look like stuffed animals (Photo: WK).
During the cold winter, when food sources become scarcer, badgers scavenge for carrion and feces. This special diet causes them to have “bad breath”, but thanks to that they can survive the cold months.

Not only omnivorous, badger dogs are also known as “masters” of “invisibility”. They are mainly active at night, thereby helping to protect their young from daytime “predators” such as eagles and humans.

Just as raccoons are able to withstand and survive the harsh winters of North America, raccoons have very thick fur, thereby protecting them from temperatures as low as -25 degrees Celsius. They are similar to raccoons. Other hibernating species must rely on fat reserves to survive.

When entering hibernation, badger dogs usually weigh about 7kg. When the cold winter ends, they even lose half their weight. Therefore, animals that are “not fat enough” can hardly survive the harsh cold season like in Siberia.

Throughout history, badgers have been hunted by humans for their thick fur to make coats and hats. At the beginning of the 20th century, Russian hunters brought them to fur farms in the west of the country to find their fur more easily.

But some escaped and began to breed in the wild. Since then, they have expanded their range to western Russia, the Baltic countries, Finland and parts of Sweden, then to Central Europe and Western Europe.

In fact, it must be admitted that badgers are a threat to many native animals, bird populations, amphibians and reptiles. Therefore, local authorities in many places are trying to eliminate them.