Raccoon
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The Tanooki are a race of rather plump raccoon-like creatures, found primarily on Isle Delfino. In Super Mario Bros. 3, one of the many power-ups Mario gains is the Tanooki Suit, and in Super Mario Sunshine the Blue Coin shop is run by a Tanooki. Additionally, a Tanooki owns a small rowboat shack in Noki Bay.
The Tanooki are actually based on a mythical Japanese animal known as the tanuki, which was plump, raccoon-like, and a shape-shifting trickster.