PANDA,
common name for either of two genera, Ailurus and Ailuropoda, of
the family Procyanidae, which includes raccoons and kinkajous. Recent
studies of chromosome and protein characteristics of the two genera
indicate that Ailurus is more closely related to
its raccoon ancestry, whereas Ailuropoda is a more
recent offshoot of the true bears.
The lesser panda, Ailurus fulgens, is similar
to a large cat in size, with thick, reddish-brown fur; pointed ears;
stout limbs; and plantigrade (flat) feet with partly retractile
claws and woolly soles. The long, bushy tail has inconspicuous rings
of red and yellow. Lesser pandas live in pairs and small groups
in the bamboo forests—on which they feed—of the
steep mountains in western China and in the Tibetan Himalayas.
The giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is
a bearlike animal that has dense white fur with black markings on
its ears, limbs, shoulders, and around its eyes. The tail is stubby.
The giant panda also inhabits and feeds on bamboo forests at high
altitudes in western China, but it does occur in the Himalayas.
The giant panda uses a special bone near the thumb of its forefoot
to grasp bamboo shoots. It also eats bulbs, roots, eggs, and some
small mammals. The giant panda is solitary. In breeding season,
both sexes leave scent marks on rocks and trees, and the male roars.
During part of the courtship, the female sits up in a tree while
the male remains on the ground to drive off rivals. The cubs are
born in late winter. Various attempts have been made to breed the
endangered giant panda under the protection of the Chinese government.