Animals / red-panda-classification
Facts about Red Panda Classification
- 05
Red panda classification has historically been contested, with early naturalists placing the animal alongside raccoons in the family Procyonidae.
- 04
Two subspecies of red panda are recognized: Ailurus fulgens fulgens from the Himalayas and Ailurus fulgens styani from southwestern China.
- 03
Molecular phylogenetic studies confirmed that red pandas are most closely related to the group Musteloidea, which includes weasels, raccoons, and skunks.
- 02
Ailurus fulgens, the red panda's scientific name, places it as the sole living member of the family Ailuridae within the order Carnivora.
- 01
The red panda was long debated by taxonomists before being placed in its own family, Ailuridae, separate from both bears and raccoons.