Panda

A giant panda.

Pandamonium, a fictional panda from Extinctioners.

Po, a fictional anthropomorphic giant panda from Kung Fu Panda.

The Panda, full Giant Panda or Panda bear ('Ailuropoda melanoleuca), is a mammal of the bear family (Ursidae), that is native to central China's mountainous regions, like Sichuan and Tibet.

Overview

Easily recognizable through its large, distinctive black patches on the eyes, ears, and on its rotund body, the panda is considered a "vulnerable" species, with an estimated 1800-2060 pandas living in the wild, according to a 2018 census.

Despite being taxonomically a carnivore, their diet is overwhelmingly herbivorous. The panda eats shoots, leaves and roots, living almost entirely on bamboo. Pandas are also omnivores, as they are known to eat eggs, small animals, carrion and some insects along with their bamboo diet. These are necessary sources of protein.

For many decades the precise taxonomic classification of the panda was under debate as both the giant panda and the distantly related red panda share characteristics of both bears and raccoons. However, genetic testing has revealed that giant pandas are true bears and part of the Ursidae family, though it differentiated earlier in history than most ursines and could be considered a living fossil. Its closest extant relative is the Andean bear.

The giant panda has an unusual paw, with a "thumb" and five fingers; the "thumb" is actually a modified wrist bone. The giant panda has a short tail, approximately 15 cm long.

Panda and furry

Giant pandas are a common selection when someone is looking for a character or fursona from the Far East.

See also

• Panda on Wikipedia
• Panda characters

External links

• Panda search results in DeviantArt
• Panda search results in Fur Affinity

This species stub needs improving.