Qinling panda facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Qinling panda/Brown panda
Qi Zai, the only brown panda in captivity. He was born in 2008.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Ursidae
Genus:	Ailuropoda
Species:	A. melanoleuca
Subspecies:	A. m. qinlingensis
Trinomial name
Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis Wan, Wu & Fang, 2005

The Qinling panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis), often called the brown panda, is a very rare type of giant panda. It was first discovered on November 15, 1959, but scientists didn't officially recognize it as its own unique subspecies until 2005. It is one of only two giant panda subspecies known to exist.

What Makes the Qinling Panda Special?

The Qinling panda looks different from the famous black-and-white giant panda. Instead of black and white fur, it has dark brown and light brown fur. It also has a smaller head and is generally smaller in size. Another cool difference is its eye spots, which are located under its lower eyelid instead of all the way around the eye.

Most Qinling pandas are about the same size as other giant pandas. They can grow to be 1.2–1.8 m (3 ft 11 in – 5 ft 11 in) long and stand about 70–80 cm (28–31 in) tall at the shoulder. Males are usually heavier than females. A male can weigh between 60–190 kg (130–420 lb), while a female typically weighs between 75–125 kg (165–276 lb).

Where Do Brown Pandas Live?

This special panda lives only in one place: the Qinling Mountains in China. They are found at high altitudes, between 1,300–3,000 metres (4,300–9,800 ft).

Scientists think their unique brown color might be because the population is so isolated. Since they live in a small area, they don't mix with other panda groups. This can lead to inbreeding, where closely related animals have babies. This might have caused a rare genetic mutation (a small change in their genes) for brown fur to become more common in this group.

Protecting the Brown Panda

As of 2023, there are only about 200 to 300 Qinling pandas living in the wild. This is a big improvement from 2001, when there were only about 100.

The Story of Qizai

One of the most famous brown pandas is a male named Qizai. He was found in the wild in 2009 with his mother, who was a normal black-and-white panda. Scientists studied Qizai to understand why he was brown. They discovered that a tiny piece of DNA was missing in one of his genes, called the Bace2 gene. This gene helps control fur color.

To prove their theory, scientists used a gene-editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9 on mice. They changed the mice's genes in the same way as Qizai's. The mice that were tested grew lighter-colored fur, which supported the idea that this gene change is what makes Qinling pandas brown.

Researchers also found a tissue sample from another brown panda named Dan-Dan, who lived from 1989 to 2000. They found she had the same genetic trait as Qizai.

Dangers in the Panda's Home

Because Qinling pandas live in a specific mountain range, they face threats from pollution. Harmful metals like copper, nickel, lead, and zinc from human activities have gotten into the soil and bamboo. Since the pandas' habitat is at high elevations, these pollutants can become concentrated in their food and environment, which is a danger to their health.

Diet and Dental Health

A panda's health depends a lot on its teeth. In the wild, Qinling pandas can live for 5 to 20 years. They spend at least 14 hours a day eating tough bamboo. Even though they eat only plants, they have the digestive system of a carnivore (a meat-eater).

This diet creates challenges. Chewing tough bamboo all day wears down their teeth. The most common dental problems for these pandas are worn-down teeth and broken teeth. These issues can make it hard for them to eat and can affect how long they live. Studies have shown that pandas in the Qinling Mountains choose bamboo that is high in protein and low in fiber, similar to how a meat-eater would choose its food.