Yaru is often mistaken for a raccoon. However, a tanuki is a Japanese raccoon dog, which is a canine animal, making it fit with most of the Cornerian forces.
The site also describes him as being "scheming" which fits with folklore and popular culture depicting tanukis as being mischievous and jolly. It also states that Slippy thinks he should not say it out loud, but Beltino knows that Mr DePon is a scheming tanuki who trades weapons in the darkness, meaning that Space Dynamics is profiting on both sides of the Lylat Wars by dealing under the table.

http://starfox.wikia.com/wiki/Yaru_de_Pon
 
secret evil mastermind of star fox 64
 
 

Quote

 
Yaru is often mistaken for a raccoon. However, a tanuki is a Japanese raccoon dog, which is a canine animal, making it fit with most of the Cornerian forces.
The site also describes him as being "scheming" which fits with folklore and popular culture depicting tanukis as being mischievous and jolly. It also states that Slippy thinks he should not say it out loud, but Beltino knows that Mr DePon is a scheming tanuki who trades weapons in the darkness, meaning that Space Dynamics is profiting on both sides of the Lylat Wars by dealing under the table.