The following are 13 fascinating facts to help you know more about them. Black and white, cuddly and endangered, which can only be the Giant Panda! A detailed study of the giant panda's genetic history from 2012 confirms that the separation of the Qinlin population occurred about 300,000 years ago, and reveals that the non-Qinlin population further diverged into two groups, named the Minshan and the Qionglai-Daxiangling-Xiaoxiangling-Liangshan group respectively, about 2,800 years ago. The eyespots in a panda cuba are initially shaped like a circle, but as they grow, the circle becomes shaped like a teardrop. Giant panda, bearlike mammal inhabiting bamboo forests in the mountains of central China. The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is known by a couple of names including simply Panda, Great Panda, and Panda Bear.. Learn more about the giant panda in this article. They also explain the bear’s reproduction cycles, and the extensive territory that each giant panda needs. More than that, however, they also represent an important symbol in China. The Latin for Giant Panda is ‘ailuropda melanoleuca’. Discover History and Mythology of the xióng māo, Mo, pixiu or giant panda and its roots in Tibetan and Chinese cuture and medicine. The giant panda has an insatiable appetite for bamboo. Giant Pandas were first introduced to the West in 1869 when a panda pelt and skeleton were sent to Paris by the French … The Giant Panda (black-and-white cat-foot) (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), is a mammal classified in the bear family, Ursidae, native to central-western and southwestern China. A giant panda sits in a bamboo tree. at the shoulder and weighing up to 150 kg (330 lb.). Read on for 26 interesting facts about Giant Pandas! High in dense bamboo forests in the misty, rainy mountains of southwestern China lives one of the world's rarest mammals: the giant panda, also called the panda. The Latin for Giant Panda is ‘ailuropda melanoleuca’. When we think of giant pandas, we think of lovely black and white bears. The biological diversity of the panda’s habitat is unparalleled in the temperate world and rivals that of tropical ecosystems, making the giant panda an excellent example of an umbrella species conferring protection on many other species where pandas live. A typical animal eats half the day—a full 12 out of every 24 hours—and relieves itself dozens of times a day. One of the world's rarest animals, the giant panda lives in sub-alpine forests in the west-central region of China. Pandas are adorable animals that never fail to bring a smile to our faces. They are cute and have many fans all over the world. Giant pandas live for approximately 20 years, however, captive pandas are known to live between 25 to 30 years due to better living conditions. Adored round the world, the distinctive black and white animal could be a national treasure in China and has been the image of WWF since its formation in 1961. According to recent estimates, the population of giant pandas have risen significantly with credits going to the massive conservation efforts used to save the species. Today there are confined to temperate forest scattered across six mountain ranges in southwestern China: Minshan, Qinling, Qionglai, Liangshan, Daxiangling, and Xiaoxiangling. Black and white, cuddly and endangered, which can only be the Giant Panda! The giant panda has an insatiable appetite for bamboo. History of the Giant Panda 11 March 1869 A hunter brings a panda skin to the French Jesuit, Armand David 13 April 1929 The Roosevelt brothers become the first foreigners to shoot a panda 1936 Ruth Harkness captures an infant panda and takes it to the USA, evoking universal sympathy for the plight of the panda and creating the ‘panda cult’ 1936-46 14 pandas are taken from China by foreigners The Giant Panda (black-and-white cat-foot) (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), is a mammal classified in the bear family, Ursidae, native to central-western and southwestern China. The giant panda is a large, stocky animal measuring about 70 to 80 cm (27 to 32 in.) Giant Pandas are one of the rarest mammals in the world. HISTORY OF THE GIANT PANDA BEAR. Panda facts Giant pandas are found only in China. Pandas are easily recognized by their large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears and across their round body. Giant Panda Facts – Facts about the Giant Panda Summary. Pandas are easily recognized by their large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears and across their round body.