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.
Contents
Overview[edit]
Easily recognizable through its large, distinctive black patches on the eyes, ears, and 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 tubers, grasses, shoots, leaves, and roots, living almost entirely on bamboo. Pandas are also omnivores, as they are known to eat eggs, fish, 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 raccoon. However, genetic testing has revealed that giant pandas are true bears and part of the Ursidae family. However, it differentiated earlier in history than most ursines and could be considered a living fossil. Its closest extant relative is the spectacled 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 5.9 inches (15 cm) long.
Pandas in mainstream culture/religion[edit]
- Po Ping (Dreamworks Animation's Kung Fu Panda)
- Panda (Cartoon Network's We Bare Bears)
- Pandaren (Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft)
- Penny Ling (Littlest Pet Shop)
- Andy Panda
- Vanessa (Pandamonia)
Panda and furry[edit]
Giant pandas are a typical selection when someone is looking for a character or fursona from the Far East.
Panda characters in furry[edit]
- Shanda the Panda
- Panda Khan (The Chronicles of Panda Khan)
- Pandamonium (Extinctioners)
- Leila (Ringtail Cafe)
- David Innitou (Concession)
- Arloest (Jack)
- Yin the Panda (The Suburban Jungle)
- Rezzurekt (Beast Wars)
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
- Panda search results in DeviantArt
- Panda search results in Fur Affinity
 This species stub needs improving.
|
|
Some of this page is derived from Wikipedia. The original article was at Giant panda. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WikiFur, the text of Wikipedia is available under CC-BY-SA and the GFDL. |