Red Panda Species are two separate species
On February 29, 2020, the Chinese Academy of Sciences have discovered that the red panda species are actually two separate species. Earlier, both the Himalayan red pandas and the Chinese red Pandas were together considered as red panda species. However, the DNA analysis says that they are two separate species.
Habitats
Chinese Red Panda are found in northern Myanmar, Sichuan, south-eastern Tibet and Yunnan province of China. The Himalayan red Pandas are found in India, Nepal, Bhutan and southern Tibet. On the whole, there are 10,000 red pandas in the wild.
Key Findings
The Yalu Zangbu river marks the geographical boundary between the two species. The two species differ in face. The Himalayan Red Panda has more white spots in its face and Chinese red panda is redder with less white on it. The tail rings of the Chinese Red Panda is darker and paler as compared to the Himalayan Red Panda.
Threats and Conservation
Deforestation is the major threat of the red panda species. The Red Pandas are called “Living Fossils” as they are the only living member of the Ailuridae mammalian family. The IUCN Red List has categorized Red Pandas as “Endangered”.
Yalu Zangbu river
The Yalu Zangbu is also called Yarlung Zangpo or Yarlung Tsangpo. It is the upper stream of the Brahmaputra river. It is the longest river in Tibet.
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Month: Current Affairs - March, 2020