Which panda subspecies is named for China's Qinling Mountains?

The panda subspecies named for China’s Qinling Mountains is the Qinling panda.

Its scientific name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis, and it is one of two recognized giant-panda subspecies. Unlike the familiar black-and-white pandas concentrated mainly in Sichuan, Qinling pandas live in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi Province.

The subspecies was discovered in 1959 but was not formally recognized until 2005. It differs from the nominate giant-panda subspecies in features including a smaller skull, larger molars and a somewhat different coat pattern. Most Qinling pandas are black and white, although rare individuals are brown and white.

The name is geographic, not a reference to a separate species. The Qinling panda remains a giant panda, and its restricted mountain range makes habitat protection especially important. The rare brown panda Qi Zai is the best-known living example of the unusual coloration associated with this population.