Growth, size, and fat reserves of the raccoon dog in Finland

Abstract

Juvenile Nyctereutes procyonoides reached the mean adult body length at the age of 5-7 months. The weather in spring seemed to cause both annual and regional variation in the weight and fat reserves of juveniles in late autumn. Some differences could be seen as late as the following March, the breeding season. Adults had least fat reserves in May and most in October-November. Abundance of food, especially that of voles in early spring, seemed to affect the fat reserves of adult females in March. -from Author