# Panda?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panda/20480
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 25, 2000, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panda/20480 "2000-05-25T02:08:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SilentKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SilentKnight)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2000, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panda/20480/1 "2000-05-25T02:08:59Z")
There is a picture of a strange looking animal on a poster at our library. It is red and has red stripes on its face and looks very much like a red fox, but I’m sure its not. I think its a panda, while alot of other people say that it is a fox. Can anyone find a website with information on this animal?
Any help greatly appreciated.
Thanks
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### Author:  [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2000, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panda/20480/2 "2000-05-25T02:37:31Z")
I haven’t found a web site, but my American Heritage dictionary has two entries for panda - the Giant panda (the adorable bear-like panda with which we’re most familiar), and “a small, racoon-like mammal (Ailurus fulgens) of northeast Asia, having reddish fur, white face markings, and a long ringed tail. Also called lesser panda and red panda.”
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### Author:  [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2000, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panda/20480/3 "2000-05-25T02:39:44Z")
[http://w3.one.net/~shire/redpanda/](http://w3.one.net/~shire/redpanda/)
[http://www.phillyzoo.org/pz-panda.htm](http://www.phillyzoo.org/pz-panda.htm)
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2000, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panda/20480/4 "2000-05-25T15:22:09Z")
IIRC, the word “panda,” which is from (some Asian language that I do not recall) is just a native word for “beast” or “animal,” and does not give any taxonomic designation.
Hence, you have two not-so-closely related critters: giant panda, probably a member of the bear family, and the red panda, possibly related to your basic 'coon.
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### Author:  [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2000, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panda/20480/5 "2000-05-25T15:27:47Z")
er, no.
the giant panda is a closer relation to raccoons than it is to bears.
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### Author:  [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2000, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/panda/20480/6 "2000-05-25T15:46:52Z")
hmmm… seems to be a bit of a controversy.
> [@](#):
>
> **Giant pandas are classed as bears by most scientists. Until recently, giant pandas were grouped with raccoons and lesser pandas (i.e., the Procyonidae (raccoon) family). This decision was based primarily on physiological evidence. In the late 1980’s, DNA/serological studies clearly established that giant pandas are clearly more bear than raccoon. Some scientists want to place giant pandas in their own grouping but for most bear researchers, this does not seem warranted.** source: [http://www.nature-net.com/bears/panda.html](http://www.nature-net.com/bears/panda.html)
> [@](#):
>
> **…By these comparisons it is understood why there are conflicting view points as to the family the giant panda belongs in… the raccoon (where the red panda resides) or the bear family.** source: [http://216.10.31.46/htdocs/info.html](http://216.10.31.46/htdocs/info.html)
the first link is a site about bears, so i can see why they’d claim the panda is a bear. i
the second site seems to be the web authority on giant pandas.