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Do Pandas Have Eyebrows?

Just saying the word "panda" conjures up an image of a roly-poly, black and white bundle of cuddly fur, perhaps munching on a stalk of bamboo.

That's only half the story, though. There are actually two species of panda. Both are indigenous to the rainy, high-altitude forests of central China, and both eat bamboo as the main staple of their diet.

But that's where the similarities end.

Giant Panda
- Giant Pandas are among the most endangered of all animals.
  
  The Giant Panda is the rarest member of the bear family and lives in dense forests in the mountains of central China. Scientists speculate the unique black and white coloration of its thick, woolly fur provides camouflage in its sun-and-shade-dappled habitat.
  
  Standing on all fours, the Giant Panda reaches a height of 2 to 3 feet with a body length of up to 6 feet. The larger males can weigh up to 250 pounds. Giant Pandas live between 20 and 30 years in captivity, although their lifespan in the wild is uncertain.
  
  Giant Pandas eat bamboo almost exclusively, and because of the limited nutrition available in this plant, they must consume 20-45 pounds of it daily.
The Red Panda
- The Red Panda is related to both bears and raccoons.
  
  The Red Panda's habitat includes the mountains of central China, Myanmar and Nepal, where its diet includes bamboo but also eggs, fruits, acorns, berries and various roots.
  
  The size of a large house cat, Red Pandas have facial stripes, long, ringed tails and articulated fingers similar to raccoons. In fact, these rare animals resemble raccoons more than they do bears. Red Pandas are related to both, which caused scientists some trouble in classifying them. They have now determined the Red Panda is in a class of its own, the Ailuridae.
Conservation
- The Giant Panda is one of the most endangered species in the world. There are estimated to be only 1,600 left in the wild, with another 300 in zoos and breeding centers, mostly in China. Human encroachment of habitat is the main reason for the decline of these animals.
  
  Red Pandas also are losing their habitat through deforestation. Since they so elusive, a true count of how many of these pandas are left has not been determined.
Do Pandas Have Eyebrows?
- The Red Panda's tufts of white fur over their eyes might be considered eyebrows.
  
  While Giant Pandas have distinctive black patches around the eyes that would suggest eyebrows, their skulls do not have a ridge above the eyes. Neither are there separate types of fur above their eyes.
  
  The Red Panda's skull does not have brow ridges, either, but most have tufts of white fur over their eyes, making them the only panda that might be said to have eyebrows.

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