Land Mammals, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 25, 2015

Photos: New Panda Twins Keep D.C. Zookeepers Busy

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is home to two new twin pandas. The mother, Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), gave birth to the cubs at 5:35 p.m. and 10:07 p.m. EDT on Saturday (Aug. 22). Mei Xiang can take care of only one cub at a time, so while one cub is with...

Aug 25, 2015

'Panda Swap' Keeps Newborn Twins in Mom's Care

Zookeepers are playing a complicated game of baby swap with two new pink and fuzzy panda twins at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The mother, 17-year-old Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), gave birth to the twins on Saturday (Aug. 22), delivering the first at 5:35 p.m. EDT and the second...

Aug 26, 2015

Baby Panda Twin Dies at National Zoo

One of giant panda Mei Xiang's twin cubs died today (Aug. 26), just five days after its birth, the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., reported. The cub showed no signs of decline until this morning, after spending the night with its mother, Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), while its twin stayed...

Aug 28, 2015

Panda Bros: Twin Cubs Were Fraternal Brothers, Tests Show

Twin pandas born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo would have been fraternal brothers, if the firstborn cub hadn't died just five days after making its debut on Earth. The twins were born just about 5 hours apart from one another on Saturday (Aug. 22) at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in...

Sep 8, 2015

The Cute and Complicated Science of Raising Twin Pandas

This story was updated at 12:08 p.m. EDT. The little panda was cold, low energy and having trouble breathing before its heart stopped beating. But the zoo baby left an indelible mark on its caretakers and admirers before it died, just days after being born to mother Mei Xiang, along...

Sep 16, 2015

Panda Protections Save Other Species, Too

Thanks, pandas! Conservation areas set aside to protect China's national treasure also help to save many of China's other one-of-a-kind species, new research reveals. Pandas get disproportionate attention and conservation funding, but the new study, published online today (Sept. 16) in the journal Conservation Biology, offers some good news: The...

Sep 25, 2015

What a Precious Bei Bei! Panda Cub Grows Up (Photos)

The baby giant panda at the Smithsonian's National Zoo now has a name: Bei Bei (BAY-BAY), which means precious treasure, a nod to his sister's name, Bao Bao, which has the same meaning. Bei Bei has come a long way since he was born blind and deaf on Aug. 22....

Sep 25, 2015

Aww! Panda Cub Bei Bei Is a 'Precious Treasure'

A giant-panda cub at Smithsonian's National Zoo is no longer nameless: The furry youngster will now be called Bei Bei (BAY-BAY), which means precious treasure in Mandarin, according to his naming ceremony, held at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., this morning (Sept. 25). First ladies Michelle Obama and...

Sep 30, 2016

Cutest Face-Plant Ever? Baby Panda Falls Off Stage

Roly-poly can be a plus for a giant panda tumbling around in the wild. But on stage with 22 of your cute-and-cuddly kin, the pudge can lead to a spill. And that's what happened during the public debut of 23 panda cubs that were born this year at the Chengdu...

Dec 22, 2016

Facts About Red Pandas

Red pandas are small mammals with long, fluffy tails and red and white markings. Though they share a name with the more famous giant panda, they are not closely related. In fact, the name 'panda' was first applied to these animals, and not to the larger black-and-white bear. According to...

Mar 12, 2017

Why Are Pandas Black and White?

The giant panda's distinctive black-and-white fur makes it one of the most recognizable animals on the planet. But why does it have this unique coloring? To hide from predators, both in the snow and in the shadows, scientists now say. Moreover, the large black circles around a panda's eyes may...

Sep 14, 2017

Farewell, Basi: World's Oldest Captive Panda Dies at 37

The oldest giant panda in captivity died yesterday (Sept. 13) at the advanced age of 37, according to the state-run Chinese news outlet Xinhua News Agency. The panda, named Basi, died of multiple causes, including cirrhosis of the liver and kidney failure, the animal's keepers said. Basi has left, but...

May 29, 2019

Albino Panda Spotted in the Wild for the First Time

Pandas are known for their furry black-and-white markings, so wildlife experts were stunned to see an all-white panda with red eyes tramping through a bamboo forest in China last month. This wild giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is the first known albino of its kind. Judging from pictures, the panda is...

Dec 17, 2019

Giant Panda Babies Are Born 'Undercooked' and No One Knows Why

Giant panda babies are born weirdly tiny and underdeveloped. No one knows why, and the major theory just turned out to be wrong. Carnivorans — an order of mammals that includes all bears, dogs, cats, raccoons, weasels and seals, among other species — tend to enter the world small, weak,...

Jan 8, 2020

Some Pandas Use Their Head to Climb. Others Just ... Can't. And It's So Unbearably Cute.

AUSTIN, Texas — Pandas are bears, and bears climb trees, so it's logical to assume that all pandas probably know how to climb trees, right? Wrong. New research shows that some pandas just aren't capable clamberers (and the video evidence is adorable). Researchers evaluated the climbing skills of young giant...