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Raccoon
The reference point is the common raccoon. Its black eye mask is edged in white, its tail is bushy with broad dark rings and its front paws have unusually distinct fingers. Look for all three features together when comparing the other animals.
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Common raccoon dog
East Asia’s raccoon dog has a dark mask and shaggy cheeks that can look almost identical from the front. Watch the tail when it turns. It is bushy but lacks the common raccoon’s black rings, and the body and paws are shaped more like a small dog.
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Ringtail
The ringtail is a small raccoon relative in the western United States and Mexico. Its large round ears, pointed muzzle and white eye rings stand out. The black-and-white tail looks exceptionally long on its slender body.
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Cacomistle
This Central American forest climber looks like an extra-slender ringtail. Look for pointed ears and a long tail whose bold bands tend to fade toward the tip. A common raccoon has smaller ears and a stockier build.
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White-nosed Coati
The bands on a white-nosed coati’s upright tail are the first resemblance you may notice. Look for a long, flexible snout with pale markings and a more elongated body. In the United States, look for this coati in the Southwest.
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South American coati
Its long, ringed tail can suggest a raccoon when the animal disappears into brush. A long mobile snout, small ears and the habit of carrying the tail upright make this South American coati much easier to recognize in the open.
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Crab-eating raccoon
This is a close relative with the familiar mask and banded tail. Look for a shorter coat, a more slender outline and longer legs. Its native range runs through parts of Central and South America rather than across most of the United States.
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Cozumel raccoon
The dark mask and ringed tail are immediately familiar, but the Cozumel raccoon is small and its tail can look yellowish. Location is especially helpful because this species is native to the Mexican island of Cozumel.
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Japanese raccoon dog
Japan’s tanuki has round ears, a dark mask and a thick coat that can look like a raccoon from the front. The rump ends in a shaggy tail without alternating rings. In Japan, location is the clearest clue when you are comparing it with the mainland raccoon dog.
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Kinkajou
A round face, small ears, and large dark eyes can give an animal high in a tropical American tree a raccoon-like look. Watch its long tail. A kinkajou can curl it around a branch for a grip, and there is no set of bold black-and-white rings.
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Olinguito
A furry animal with round ears and big eyes in an Andean cloud forest may be this small relative of the raccoon. Its russet woolly coat and slender, largely plain tail give it a different outline. Look up into the branches rather than assuming a raccoon-sized animal at ground level.
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Northern olingo
A small face with round ears and a banded tail can suggest a raccoon high in a Central American tree. The northern olingo is lighter and longer-bodied, with a tail about as long as its body and much fainter rings. Its tendency to stay in the canopy is a useful clue.
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Red panda
From behind, a red panda’s bushy ringed tail can call a raccoon to mind. Rust-red fur, dark legs and pale triangular ears give it away when it turns. Look for this climber in the forests of the Himalayas and adjoining parts of Asia.
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Asian palm civet
The dark facial bands and pale spots around the eyes can suggest a raccoon. Compare the civet’s long body and drawn-out muzzle, then check the tail. In the common Asian palm civet it is long and plain, with no bold raccoon rings.
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Masked palm civet
The face mask gives this Asian climber its name. Look for a pale stripe down the center of the face and a long, unbanded tail. A raccoon’s dark mask runs across the eye area, and its tail carries bold alternating rings.
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Small Indian civet
The dark-and-light rings on this slender Asian animal’s tail can make it easy to mistake for a raccoon from behind. Look farther forward for rows of small dark spots along the body and a much narrower muzzle.
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Common genet
A genet in Africa or southwestern Europe can flash a long ringed tail as it climbs. Its much smaller head, long legs and spotted coat separate it from a raccoon. The tail looks especially long beside the slim, catlike body.
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African civet
A black mask on a pale face is the main resemblance. Step back and the pattern changes: the African civet has spots and stripes through the body, especially around its hindquarters, and a ridge of longer hair down the back.
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Black-footed ferret
A dark mask over the eyes gives it a fleeting raccoon resemblance. On the North American Plains, look for an unusually long, low body, a pale coat, and black feet. A short dark tip on the tail looks different from the series of bold bands on a raccoon.
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European polecat
In a dim hedgerow a polecat’s dark eyes and pale facial borders can suggest a little raccoon. Its elongated weasel shape, relatively short legs, and dark unringed tail provide better clues. The coat can look different in winter and on hybrid animals.
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Chinese ferret-badger
This small Asian carnivore has contrasting dark and light marks on the head. Look for light patches and a narrow stripe rather than broad dark circles around the eyes. A low body, short legs, and a relatively plain tail make the raccoon resemblance mostly a matter of the face.
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