This is one of the pages of the sci.lang.japan Frequently Asked Questions.
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>> 7. Word meanings
7.5. Is a tanuki a badger?
No. Tanuki (Latin name Nyctereutes procyonoides) is
translated into English as a `raccoon dog', but it is not a badger or
a raccoon. In Japanese badger is anaguma and raccoon is
araiguma. Biologically, the Tanuki is closer to the
dog and the fox than the raccoon or the badger.
Copyright (c) 1994-2006 Ben Bullock
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