Yesterday's photo of Tai Shan received so many positive responses I thought I would put another one up. Getting these shots could be a little difficult at times, however, (warning: bad pun ahead) as it was definitely pandemonium around the enclosure when the young bear came out. His parents Mei Xiang and Tian Tian certainly didn't get as much attention, but they also were not as active or curious as their offspring. If you want to look in on the pandas yourself the National Zoo has a Panda Cam that will allow you to do so.
- Log in to post comments
More like this
As I mentioned in the description of yesterday's "Photo of the Day," when I visited the National Zoo I wanted to make sure I got there especially early, and this Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) cub is part of the reason. Any exhibit that holds a giant panda, especially a baby one, is going…
Female Snow Leopard twins born last year at the Bronx Zoo.
When I initially started posting pictures on my blog, I didn't know if anyone would have anything to say about my pictures. I frequent zoos, museums, and aquariums, usually shooting between 200 and 600 shots per trip, the handful of good…
Kevin went to another place and kept catching a snake he cannot identify. Read more under the fold....
Pinqian Report
(pin - tchin)
The Pinqian trip is a fairly short and concise trip. The trip guest starred Vanessa Reynolds for about half the time. Prior to this trip, her China experience had…
[Note: Just to put this post in context, today I was feeling extremely frustrated with the seemingly blind acceptance creationism receives because it makes some people feel comfortable. This is surely not my best work, and if anything it represents me trying to sort out the reasons why I keep…
Those kiddies sure do grow up fast! I was in the DC area just over two years ago visiting a friend. I made her take me to the zoo (because that's what I like to do when I go anywhere), and if I recall correctly Tai Shan was so young that he could only be seen on the panda cam. Now he's huge, comparatively speaking at least.
Pandas are amazing creatures. They put the charismatic in Charismatic Megafauna!
Query: Are taxonomists any closer to figuring out the great panda's true allegiences? Genetic evidence says it's a bear, but anatomy confers a racoon grouping on it, from what I understand.
One of the definitive sources on zoo and wildlife medicine (Fowler Five) classifies them in Ursidae.
In a physiologic sense, they relate pretty well with other bears (they are spontaneous ovulators with delayed implantation, etc.), but they have some interesting susceptibilities to diseases (specifically canine distemper virus) that other bears lack, and of course, they have the infamous pandas' thumb.
The panda's a great example of how modern genetic technology is messing up old school taxonomy.
The previously linked series on Voltage Gate addresses this controversy in red pandas, I think. (Red pandas are classified with Procyonidae in most texts I've seen.)
Dave; the amount of panda-themed merchandise being sold at the National Zoo definitely backs up their charismatic status.
Zach; As Meredith said, it seems that the issue is now resolved and Pandas belong in the Ursidae (which always made much more sense to me, anyhow). There seems to be some debate about Red Pandas now, although it's the sole living member of the family Ailuridae.
Meredith; Thanks for your help with this!
So red pandas aren't racoons, either? But they have the long bushy, striped tail! And they're so damn CUTE! Any idea what the panda's closest relative is? Must be the Asian bears, I suppose. Sun bear, sloth bear...there's...another one.