Why Are Giant Pandas Black and White?

The colors in nature aren't random. An American research team, which previously discovered why zebras have black and white stripes (to keep flies away), decided to investigate the panda's coloration, specifically the so-called 'giant panda.'

"Understanding why the giant panda has such unusual colors is a long-standing issue in biology. It's a tough problem to solve because no other mammal looks like this," says the research team leader, Professor Tim Caro from UC Davis. "We made our breakthrough only when we treated each part of the body as a separate area."

The team compared different parts of the giant panda's fur to the light and dark colors of 159 other carnivorous mammals. They then tried to match the shades of these various body areas to ecological and behavioral variables to determine their role.

The result: The study found that most of the panda's body—face, neck, belly—is white to help it blend into snowy habitats, while its hands and legs are black to allow it to hide in the shade. Scientists believe this dual camouflage is necessary because its poor diet—bamboo alone—doesn't enable it to store enough fat to hibernate. Since it must be active year-round and navigate various habitats, including snowy mountains and tropical forests, it requires two types of camouflage.

However, the markings on the panda's head, researchers say, aren't for camouflage but communication. The black ears and eye patches signal a warning to other animals, as if the panda is more dangerous than it truly is.