What is the genus of the giant panda?

The genus of the giant panda is Ailuropoda. Its full scientific name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca, with Ailuropoda identifying the genus and melanoleuca identifying the species.

The name comes from Greek roots associated with a cat-like foot, a reference to the panda's unusual paws and vertically slit pupils. The giant panda's famous “thumb” is not a true sixth finger; it is an enlarged wrist bone that helps the animal grip bamboo. Although its diet is almost entirely bamboo, the panda belongs to the order Carnivora and is classified within the bear family, Ursidae.

For decades, scientists debated whether pandas were bears or more closely related to raccoons or red pandas. Molecular studies in the 1980s established that the giant panda is a true bear and the surviving member of an ancient bear lineage. A frequent mix-up is the red panda, whose genus is Ailurus rather than Ailuropoda; despite similar names and bamboo-feeding habits, red pandas belong to a separate family.