In everyday Japanese, ムジナ often refers to the Japanese badger (Meles anakuma), but historically the term was ambiguous and could also mean raccoon dog or other similar animals. Cross-referenced with 穴熊 (badger) for this sense.
See also: アナグマ
Historically, ムジナ was also used for the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), though modern Japanese usually uses タヌキ for that animal. This sense is now rare and mostly found in older texts or regional usage.
See also: 狸
The badger is nocturnal and lives in burrows.
In old tales, there are stories of raccoon dogs shapeshifting.
waterwheel plant
Katakana spelling is common and avoids kanji ambiguity; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Out-dated kanji form.
Kanji form; rarely used in modern writing.
The origin is uncertain. The word has been used historically for both badgers and raccoon dogs, leading to ambiguity. The kanji 狢 and 貉 are both associated with badger-like animals.