Tanukis have stout, rounded bodies, short legs and black and grey fur. They can reach a length of 60 centimeters and have distinctive stripes of black fur under their eyes, a bit like pandas or raccoons. Males have large testicles and scrotums which allows them to mate frequently.
Unlike many members of the dog family, which are fast and travel in packs, tanukis are largely slow-moving solitary animals. Their short legs and compact profile are adapted for life in the forest. Rather than chasing down prey they are they more likely to amble along, foraging whatever they can find. They are active mostly at night.
Tanukis are omnivores who will eat pretty much anything: nuts, fruits, insects, crabs, grubs, crawfish, worms, centipedes, spiders, rodents, lizards, frogs, slugs, snails, honey, leaves, berries, acorns, other items from the forest. They even eat poisonous toads, apparently by diluting the poison with large amounts of saliva.
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