Ailuropoda

From Greek "cat" + "foot" (gen. sg.). Unlike most bears, giant pandas do not have round pupils, but instead have vertical slits, similar to those of cats. This has not only inspired the scientific name , but in Chinese the giant panda is called "large bear cat" (, ). ==Classification==

• †Ailuropoda microta Pei, 1962 (late Pliocene–early Pleistocene) • †Ailuropoda baconi (Woodward 1915) (Pleistocene) • Ailuropoda melanoleuca (giant panda) (David, 1869) • Ailuropoda melanoleuca melanoleuca (David, 1869) • Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis Wan Q.H., Wu H. & Fang S.G., 2005 Alternatively, Ailuropoda wulingshanensis and Ailuropoda baconi may be treated as subspecies of Ailuropoda melanoleuca. ==Other pandas==

The red, or lesser panda (Ailurus fulgens) was formerly considered closely related to the giant panda. It is no longer considered a bear, however, and is now classified as the sole living representative of a different carnivore family (Ailuridae). ==References==