# Today's Olympic Google Doodle: What Animal Is That? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 13, 2018, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-olympic-google-doodle-what-animal-is-that/808781 "2018-02-13T18:33:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-olympic-google-doodle-what-animal-is-that/808781/21 "2018-02-14T02:59:14Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > [Wikipedia article for the real life tanuki (aka Japanese raccoon dog).](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_raccoon_dog) The Google animal has a beaver tail. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-olympic-google-doodle-what-animal-is-that/808781/22 "2018-02-14T03:11:39Z")
> [@cormac262](#): > > Badger ? (face markings) > [@Sveltington](#): > > badger > [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I also thought badger. > [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > Badger. Mushroom, Mushroom! ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-olympic-google-doodle-what-animal-is-that/808781/23 "2018-02-14T03:16:00Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > The Google animal has a beaver tail. The Google animal has a broad tail, but you can’t tell anything about the texture from the art. A tanuki’s tail can be [broad-furred](https://www.chichesterinc.com/images/Tanuki%20Tail%20Lg.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-olympic-google-doodle-what-animal-is-that/808781/24 "2018-02-14T05:08:44Z")
My first impression was racoon. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-olympic-google-doodle-what-animal-is-that/808781/25 "2018-02-14T05:46:35Z")
I was torn between raccoon and badger, but I was leaning towards raccoon. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-olympic-google-doodle-what-animal-is-that/808781/26 "2018-02-14T12:02:36Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > Wait, that’s supposed to be a tanuki? > > Needs moar testicles. Maybe [that isn’t a tail](http://pinktentacle.com/2009/06/all-purpose-tanuki-testicles-prints-by-kuniyoshi/). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-olympic-google-doodle-what-animal-is-that/808781/27 "2018-02-14T13:45:19Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > The Google animal has a broad tail, but you can’t tell anything about the texture from the art. > > A tanuki’s tail can be [broad-furred](https://www.chichesterinc.com/images/Tanuki%20Tail%20Lg.jpg). Thanks, gnoitall. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-olympic-google-doodle-what-animal-is-that/808781/28 "2018-02-18T17:03:23Z")
I think it is an Asian badger (Meles leucurus) I think the telling feature are the face markings, which are quite distinct to lend this ID. Otherwise it could be any number of dog/racoon/badger animals. Look here for information: [Asian badger - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_badger) Or search images for better pics; that poor stuffed critter on the wiki site is really a poor example. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-olympic-google-doodle-what-animal-is-that/808781.md?page=1)