The five recognized subspecies of raccoon dog are:
| Subspecies | Trinomial authority | Description | Range | Synonyms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nyctereutes procyonoides koreensis | Mori, 1922 | Produces poor-quality fur | Korea | |
| N. p. orestes | Thomas, 1923 | Yunnan (China) | ||
| N. p. ussuriensis | Matschie, 1907 | Distinguished from N. a. procyonides by its larger size and denser, longer hair | Russia (Ussuri and Amur territories), northeastern China and Korea | |
| N. p. viverrinus | Beard, 1904 | A small subspecies with smaller teeth and skull compared to those of N. p. ussuriensis, it has the silkiest pelt among raccoon dogs.
There is some debate in the scientific community regarding speciation between the other subspecies of raccoon dog and the Japanese subspecies in that due to chromosome, behavioral and weight differences, the Japanese raccoon dog could be considered a separate species from the other subspecies. Genetic analysis confirmed unique sequences of mtDNA, classifying the Japanese raccoon dog as a distinct isolation species, based on evidence of eight Robertsonian translocations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Canid Group's Canid Biology and Conservation Conference in September 2001 rejected the classification of the Japanese raccoon dog as a separate species, but its status is still disputed, based on its elastic genome. |
Japan | |
| N. p. procyonoides | Temminck, 1838 | Nominate subspecies | Rest of Asia |
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