Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis

This is the Qinling Panda. It is cream or light gray-brown with chocolate markings. It lives in certain elevations of the Qinling Mountains of the Shaanxi province, China. It is less popular than its black-marking variant and isn't often featured in media.

## Differences from Sichuan Pandas

Due to the popularity of the Sichuan Giant Panda, it may be necessary to compare the differences between them here more thoroughly. English sources mostly note the color differences and a smaller skull size. However, Chinese sources indicate that the Sichuan panda has a head shaped closer to a bear, while the Qinling's is more cat-like. Additionally, despite its head being smaller, the Qinling panda has larger teeth. One source notes that their eyespots are more concentrated under the eyes, with them less likely to go as far above the eye as *A.m.melanoleuca*. Going by picture evidence, this seems correct. They seem to be a different shape sometimes as well, being slightly thinner. A half oval or teardrop.

The pandas live in different places, with Qinlings being restricted to the Qinling mountain range of central China, while Sichuans live everywhere else Giant Pandas live. They may share the same reservations in some places, but Sichuan pandas are not found on some parts of the Qinling mountains where Qinling pandas reside, but they do live in other areas of the mountain range.

It is through the thorough examination of many live Giant Pandas held for breeding in zoos and breeding programs; as well as the skins and skulls of adult Giant Pandas and tracing all of those back to their origins and wild observational data that have led to researches in 2005 to decide that Qinling pandas are in fact a separate subspecies. Molecular analysis in later studies (see below) confirms their status as a different (and older) race of Giant Panda.

## History

The Qinling Panda and the Sichuan Panda began separating 12,000 ago. While English sources say that the brown markings must have come from inbreeding, the Chinese websites insist that the Qinling Panda is closer in genetics to their previous ancestor. The Sichuan Panda evolved at a faster rate. This could suggest (but doesn't prove) that the older kind of panda had brown and white markings instead.

Various species of older forms of pandas have existed in the larger area Giant Pandas used to live. The Qinling Panda would have evolved under hunting pressure from ancient humans, such as the Lantian man. Hacking mark on panda skulls (they don't indicate whether it was A.m.q, A. baconi, or a different species) have been found, proof that ice-age humans used to eat them.

It appears that there aren't many records of "brown pandas" in history. The Chinese Wikipedia reports that it was discovered in the 1960s by a Zheng Guangmei, who works with Beijing Normal University. In 1964 it was first proposed to become a subspecies, but it wasn't officially recognized in the world until 2005. A study was done comparing the two, and Chinese and English (at least) journals found it and published the data in a way that scientists would recognize as official.

#### 2010 article by Nature Magazine

Despite this, an article published in 2010 starts off saying that the color changes were a result of inbreeding between black-and-white giant pandas. They keep calling their color genes recessive, as if recessive genes are only found in inbred populations and not as a normal subspecies distinction drawing from natural segregation. It suggested that the 7th Qinling Panda found in the Foping reserve around 25 years had been an inbred anomaly. As mentioned below in Conservation, the Foping reserve was created specifically to study and protect these brown pandas. They also suggested it could have been a chemical in the mountains causing this fur color. Funnily enough (also mentioned in Conservation) a later study expressed concerns with heavy metal pollutants in a reserve that contains most of the Ailuropoda melanoleuca population (including Qinlings).

The article started off with drama, openly suggesting that inbreeding between pandas was causing mutant brown individuals. This ignores previous studies 5 years earlier that show a strong correlation between different body and color sizes that they used to confirm them as a separate subspecies. After their leading intro, they then indicate that molecular and genetic analysis showed that brown pandas they had plenty of diversity and they were not related. It even mentioned that it was a subspecies and that other animal species from these mountains have brown subspecies there too.

However, it seems that the message wasn't received as many English websites suggest that they're an inbred subspecies. Articles creating drama like this can lead to stupid people who don't read the full article to get the wrong message, unfortunately. It was designed to pull us in with the idea of inbred pandas, only to say "nope, they're actually diverse". But due to the way the latter part of the article was worded, it confused readers. Therefore, most English websites incorrectly call it an inbred subspecies or color phase, despite the article literally confirming that Qinling pandas not only aren't a result of inbreeding between Sichuan pandas, but also that the tiny Qinling panda population isn't inbred either. It's diverse enough to support its interests in conservation. But some people didn't get the message.

Additionally, they never explained the situations where a black-and-white mother was found with a brown-and-white cub, and vice versa. Shaanxi province is found right next to Sichuan, and normal colored pandas do live on the Qinling mountains. Though their ranges usually don't cross, they could have been at the border. As a result, hybrids will come around. Interbreeding will occur as they can easily cross into each other's territories.

All in all, genetic and observational evidence suggests strongly that Qinling pandas are not inbred and are their own distinct race of panda, but this article fights against it while carefully curtailing out of it in such a way that didn't make a strong impact on English readers, since they keep suggesting they're an inbred color mutation while also a subspecies. One even insists that it's a "sepai panda". Therefore, while I don't know the full extent of their reputation in China, in America and other English speaking countries the people who know that they exist are under the delusion that Qinlings aren't "real" pandas, but a mutation like leucism. I would say that this magazine article has smeared their reputation (even if other people don't see it as a smearing) and that the English-speaking public misunderstands Qinling pandas as a result of a poorly worded article from a famous science magazine.

#### Dan-Dan

That article also reported that in 1985 a female named Dan Dan was captured and placed into captivity and bred with a black-and-white male, and had black-and-white offspring. Other sources note that as they grew older, they turned more brown.  Some sources give a different year, like 1989.

One website gives a thorough story on it. It goes like this:

She was found ill in Foping by a man patrolling with villagers on March 28, 1985. His name was Lu Guoyou. He found her ill and reported it to a professor named Pan Wenshi. His team examined her and determined her to be brown, not dirty. Then they took care of her all night while she laid in the forest and slept near her. She was resistant to their attempts to help her. They found from her dung that she was eating bamboo abnormally and indiscriminately, eating all parts of the bamboo. As a result she had jammed up her intestines. She also had roundworms. They fed her medication and when more doctors and others arrived they were able to carry her into town. She was brought to a sanctuary. (In this spot there's a picture of an A.m.melanoleuca labelled as Dan Dan, which is clearly incorrect. The colors and eye patterns are not the same. Other pictures also feature the same issue, though many are of a Qinling panda) Professor Pan named her Dan Dan, meaning "single" and "red", indicating her unique coloration. It says that she had three matings, and only one black-and-white cub survived. It doesn't mention the others' colors. She had developed several illnesses in the 90s and was treated. However, as an old panda she kept getting ill and died on the morning of September 7, 2000.

That's what that website said. However, it does not mean that it's a trustworthy source, especially with some of those pictures wrong. There's another panda in captivity named Qi Zai. He was also claimed to be rescued.

However, so far I haven't found any actual proof of either panda having existed. Certainly there are some old pictures of a female Qinling panda in captivity, even mating with a Sichuan male, but I have not confirmed her by her studbook nor by Xi'an Zoo or any other reputable source. That doesn't mean it isn't out there, it's just hard to find and I'm tired. I've been working on this since this morning and I had no intention of working on this for as long as I have, but here I am.

## Conservation

In 2003 there were only around 220 individuals living in 24 forests of the Qinling Mountains. As with many other animals. protecting the region from human encroachment and preserving other animal and plants are necessary in order to keep the population going. They live between elevations of 4,300 and 9.800 feet, which means that multiple types of ecosystems need to be preserved for them, as different species of creatures and plants live on different elevations. They mostly eat arrow bamboo and umbrella bamboo (Fargesia). They compete with wild boars for bamboo baskets. Invasives larches encroach on bamboo forests and farming threatens their non-nature reserve habitats.

In 2006 it was reported that a research base was going to be developed in Foping National Nature Reserve for the sake of studying the Qinling Panda. The reserve itself was created in 1978 with the purpose of preserving Giant Pandas.

In 2005 an article was publishes detailing the migration habits of pandas in Foping. Qinling pandas in Foping were shown to migrate between different types of forests and elevations by season. In summer they prefer conifer forests between (approximately) 7,850 and 8,500 feet at a slope of 20-30 degrees and tried to stay around (and eat) Fargesia qinlingensis. In winter they preferred deciduous broadleaf forests between elevations of (approximately) 5,250 and 5,900 feet with south-facing slopes of 10-20 degrees and preferred Bashaina fargesii. Preserving these very specific environments is important to the survival of the culture of the species.

In 2015 a study was conducted on several Qinlings showing severe tooth decay. This may be a cause of concern of death, especially since two of them died during the study. However I remember a documentary on brown bears many years ago indicating that most of them died not of old age, but tooth decay. which was almost the equivalent to dying of old age (as they got older, their teeth decay further until they can no longer eat). I cannot help but wonder if it's just that.

In 2018 it was announced that China would develop Giant Panda National Park. A study published a year later expressed concerns with industrial metal poisoning having already contaminated the area that was designated to be the park. This makes heavy metal poisoning (pollution) a threat to Qinlings, as well as Sichuans. This park absorbed 67 other older reserves, and the park is now home to 80% of the species. One of those sources mentions desiring for crossbreeding. While different populations should crossbreed to increase genetic diversity, I can't help but wonder if this is a reference to the inbred Qinlings concept. They do not mention Qinling coloration when describing pandas.

## In media

Most English websites have, as mentioned before, seem to have confusion over whether Qinlings are an inbred subspecies or a colored variant of panda. Most websites describing pandas ignore them entirely, excepting when they're specifying Qinling pandas. In discussions on regions where Qinlings would live (Shaanxi), they usually ignore mentioning their color variations, sometimes intentionally describing Sichuan panda coloration instead. It's infuriating. When they use the word "Qinling" they are much more likely to describe the different panda coloration. It's almost like they're ashamed of it. Qinling pandas are almost never given out by the Chinese government, despite being cute pandas. Though China is concerned about their conservation, the west doesn't care, if anything it seems they want to eradicate the coloration off of this misunderstanding.

Except for those websites, they are rarely featured in media. However, in Pokemon, the monsters Pancham and Pangoro are "based" strongly on pandas. Their shiny variants are brown.

## See also

* Ailuropoda melanoleuca
* Pandas

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20070314113405/http://env.people.com.cn/BIG5/huanbao/259/4481/4482/4019532.html
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.bearconservation.org.uk/qinling-panda/
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://animalia.bio/qinling-panda
4. ↑ https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=qinling+panda&form=HDRSC2&first=1
5. ↑ https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/86/2/397/893247?login=false
6. ↑ https://www.ichongqing.info/2019/01/25/exhibition-age-of-pandas-the-past-and-present-of-giant-pandas/
7. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lantian\_Man&oldid=1113543474
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%A7%A6%E5%B6%BA%E5%A4%A7%E7%86%8A%E8%B2%93&oldid=72532397
9. ↑ https://www.nature.com/articles/news.2010.19
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 https://kidadl.com/facts/animals/qinling-panda-facts
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 http://messybeast.com/extinct/sepia-giant-panda.htm
12. ↑ https://allspecies.fandom.com/wiki/Qinling\_Panda
13. ↑ https://www.mypandatours.com/blogs/travel-guides-of-china/the-first-brown-giant-panda-found-in-the-world-dan-dan
14. ↑ https://followyourlegend.com/pages/panda-4
15. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227495305\_The\_Giant\_Pandas\_of\_the\_Qinling\_Mountains\_China\_a\_Case\_Study\_in\_Designing\_Conservation\_Landscapes\_for\_Elevational\_Migrants
16. ↑ https://animals.fandom.com/wiki/Qinling\_Panda
17. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fargesia&oldid=1123469216
18. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070110114132/http://www.sn.xinhuanet.com/2006-12/08/content\_8736416.htm
19. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foping\_National\_Nature\_Reserve&oldid=995559666
20. ↑ https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-wildlife-management/volume-69/issue-4/0022-541X(2005)69%5b1623%3aGPHSIF%5d2.0.CO%3b2/GIANT-PANDA-HABITAT-SELECTION-IN-FOPING-NATURE-RESERVE-CHINA/10.2193/0022-541X(2005)69%5B1623:GPHSIF%5D2.0.CO;2.short
21. ↑ https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-wildlife-diseases/volume-51/issue-4/2014-12-289/DENTAL-ABNORMALITIES-OF-EIGHT-WILD-QINLING-GIANT-PANDAS-AILUROPODA-MELANOLEUCA/10.7589/2014-12-289.short
22. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Giant\_Panda\_National\_Park&oldid=1133183472
23. ↑ https://national-parks.org/china/giant-panda
24. ↑ https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1009643/the-real-significance-of-chinas-new-giant-panda-national-park
25. ↑ https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-swsh/pancham/
26. ↑ https://serebii.net/pokedex-swsh/pancham/
27. ↑ https://serebii.net/pokedex-swsh/pangoro/