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For many decades, the precise taxonomic classification of the giant panda was under debate because it shares characteristics with both bears and raccoons. However, molecular studies suggest the giant panda is a true bear and part of the family Ursidae. The giant panda's closest living relative is the spectacled bear of South America.The giant panda has been referred to as a living fossil.
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∙ 8y ago
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∙ 13y agoThe Giant Panda is known as the oldest living species of bear.
The name "panda" originates with a Himalayan language, possibly Nepalese. And as used in the West it was originally applied to the Red panda, to which the Giant panda was thought to be related. Until its relation to the red panda was discovered in 1901, the Giant panda was known as Mottled Bear (Ailuropus melanoleucus) or Partli-colored Bear.
In Chinese, the Giant panda is called the "large bear cat", or "cat bear" , a term usually used only in Taiwan.
Most bears' eyes have round pupils. The exception is the Giant panda, whose pupils are vertical slits, like cats' eyes. It is these unusual eyes that inspired the Chinese to call the panda the "Giant bear cat".
Addendum to above answer:
The red panda is related to the raccoon.
AnswerMeNow328:
Giant Panda's are in the Bear Clade, but have the same ancestor as a Raccoon, and Lesser Pandas(or Red Pandas) are in the Raccoon Clade. Bears, Raccoons, and Canines have a common ancestor.
The red panda has been previously classified in the families Procyonidae (raccoons) and Ursidae (bears), but recent research has placed it in its own family Ailuidae, in superfamily Musteloidae along with Mustelidae and Procyonidae Two subspecies are recognized.
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∙ 12y agoScientists think that giant pandas are in the bear family but others think that it belongs in its own family.
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∙ 15y agoThey are part of the Ursidae family, so they are indeed bears.
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∙ 9y agoOnce thought to be related to raccoons, they are classified as bears now.
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∙ 8y agoPandas are considered members of the bear family.
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∙ 8y agoPandas look like bears and are a member of the bear family.
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∙ 11y agoThe bear family, Ursidae.
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∙ 10y agoGiant pandas are bears.
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Why are panda bears classified as a bear?
They classified the red panda with the raccoons because they look like and act like the raccoon.
Why are the Red Pandas and the Giant Pandas from different Families?
Because the giant panda is more like the koala and the red panda is more like the raccoon. But they both have panda in thier name
How do you recognize giant pandas?
You look at it. If it is giant, black, white, and looks like a bear, it most likely is a giant panda
Why is the cephalogale an ancestor to the polar bear?
Cephalogale was a primitive, superficially raccoon-like animal that gave rise to both the "bear-dogs" of the family Hemicyonidae, and to Ursavus, the immediate ancestor of all true bears, including grizzly bears, polar bears and giant pandas.
What animal is black and white bear-like relative of the raccoon living in the mountains of western china?
Giant panda.
Who would win a panda bear or a koala bear?
Gorilla Wins Because It Is Bigger, More Heavier And More Intelligent. Gorillas And Giant Pandas Look Like Eatchover And Act Like Eatchover As They Both Eat Bamboo. Sorry If This Offends You In The Gorilla Killing The Giant Panda Part.
Why are pandas sometimes called big bear cats?
Because they are big and they look like cats.
Can a giant panda beat a bear?
It depends on what kind of bear you are talking about because there are powerful bears and small bears. A panda is also a bear but looks like a very big raccoon.
What kind of pandas are their?
Yes, there are two types of pandas one is red pandas and the other is giant pandas.The giant panda is typically black and white and resembles a bear. They can weigh up to 350 pounds and lead solitary lives except for a brief breeding season in which pandas in proximity to one another will gather.The red panda, also called the lesser panda, looks more like a raccoon. It's reddish brown in color and much smaller than its cousin. It weighs between 6 and 12 pounds. It also lives a solitary life except when mating.
Is the panda related to the raccoon?
A panda is more closely related to bears than raccoons. Scientists studied this for a long time, and DNA confirms that they are part of the bear family. However, the bear family and raccoon family are closely related.
Are pandas like raccoons?
Yes,they are.Red pandas are like raccoons and giant pandas are like bears.
Which type of bats have a mask like a raccoon?
Brown bear.=================Another answerYou have two possibilities:The Spectacled Bear of the Andean jungles in South America orThe Giant Panda (who used to be considered a relative of raccoons, but is now classified with bears)I have not found photos of a brown bear with a raccoon-like mask.
