Small UK collection Questions?

stubeanz said:
I assume they are just generic raccoon dogs, most likely from a private collection as most raccoon dogs in UK zoos have come from private keepers.
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To my knowledge, all have!

The complicating factor is that there has been at least one import of pure Japanese into the private trade in the past year or so, according to my sources; as such, when one considers how common the taxon is becoming in private collections, and the scope for people to take on animals they cannot cope with, I would not be surprised if Japanese start popping up in rescue centres and small zoos as time goes by. At least one individual already has.

However, I suspect you are certainly correct that the raccoon dogs mentioned earlier *are* generic.
 
Yep sadly dave, unless the Japanese put strain is kept completely seperate it will just be mixed with all the other raccoon dogs and vanish amongst them. Because they breed like mad and have large litters the population privatly in the past 10 years has exploded and there will certainly be more and more rescues!
 
Is there an easy way to distinguish Japanese raccoon dogs from the others? I wasn't aware that there were any in the country. Also thought that all UK animals were descended from the feral population in Europe which again I believe (but could be mistaken) were all Amur raccoon dogs.

As for Van Hage collection the two raccoon dogs plus two northern raccoons (housed with an existing male) are on loan from private keeper.
 
tetrapod said:
Is there an easy way to distinguish Japanese raccoon dogs from the others?
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Smaller and overall more gracile, with shorter and more rufous pelage. There is a fair bit of genetic and behavioural evidence to suggest the Japanese may merit full species status, in fact.
 
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