One of the earliest dogs was Hesperocyon, a North American native that was much too small to chase nimravids but nonetheless did get Family Canidae’s paws planted firmly on the ground after its evolution from miacid tree-dwellers.
This post is not about those ground dwellers.
It’s about some of old Hesperocyon’s descendants who use trees today.
The gray fox, for instance:
https://youtu.be/aa27i1dkS9w&rel=0
Gray foxes climb trees routinely!
https://youtu.be/INh2JDq7pNA&rel=0
The Canid Specialist Group’s gray fox page.
Dr. Wikipedia notes that the closely related island fox is a climber, too.
This video doesn’t actually show that but, gosh, they’re cute!
https://youtu.be/xm8KWsKuwOw&rel=0
And then there’s this critter:
Not a raccoon. Raccoons don’t wag their tails like that. It’s a dog.
I didn’t even know there was a raccoon dog.
Yes, there is — and it’s cute, too:
https://youtu.be/McMk8i0Epjs&rel=0
Canid Specialist Group page.
They’re adorable as pups, too. This video also shows the claws they’re born with and that enable raccoon dogs to climb.
Featured image: Marcin Zakrzewski/Shutterstock
Flight To Wonder 