Why are pandas black and white?

There’s an animal that sports black eye circles, yet it’s adored by everyone. Can you guess what it is? That’s right, it’s China’s national treasure—the giant panda. With its round head, black ears, and those iconic big black eye patches, the panda waddles around with an inward-pointing gait, hugging bamboo all day long. It’s irresistibly clumsy and adorably goofy. Indeed, pandas are the ultimate internet celebrities today, and their most striking feature is undoubtedly that black-and-white fur coat.

fingerprints, warning coloration, or camouflage?

So, do you know why pandas are black and white? There are several explanations for this. One theory suggests that the black and white patches are like the panda’s “fingerprints”: each panda’s pattern is unique, allowing them to recognize each other by their markings. Another theory posits that this stark black-and-white contrast serves as a warning coloration, evolved to ward off predators. Yet another, completely opposite, perspective argues that the black-and-white coloration is actually camouflage, helping them blend into their environment. However, this is puzzling because, for an animal living in forests, camouflage typically involves shades of brown to blend with the background. Considering the panda’s habitat ranges from dense, leafy forests at low altitudes to snowy mountains at high altitudes, it’s clear that their bold black-and-white contrast doesn’t really blend in with the surroundings, making the idea of camouflage a bit hard to believe.

What does a panda look like to their predators?

So, what's the real story here? We should be clear that the panda’s camouflage isn’t meant to hide from the humans peeking over zoo fences; it’s for the predators that might spot them from a distance.

Adult pandas don’t have many natural enemies, but young pandas have quite a few, including tigers, leopards, dholes, and foxes. So, to understand the purpose of the panda’s black-and-white coat, the real question is: What does a panda look like to these predators? Given the limited research on these specific carnivores, we can’t be certain what the world looks like through a predator’s eyes. However, scientists have thoroughly studied the visual patterns of felines and canines as a whole. So, these visual patterns can serve as a reference to simulate how pandas appear to their feline or canine predators.

latest findings on giant panda coloration

According to a 2021 paper published in Scientific Reports, a research team from the University of Bristol, the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the University of Jyväskylä in Finland unveiled the latest findings on the black-and-white coloration of giant pandas.

The research team analyzed 15 rare photos of giant pandas in the wild, taken between 2007 and 2014 in the Foping Nature Reserve, Shanxi Province. The distance of these photos ranged from 5 to 150 meters, with natural backgrounds varying from sunny summer days to snow-covered winter scenes. The team applied the visual models of felines and canines to these photos and discovered that the black-and-white patches of giant pandas are not conspicuous in natural backgrounds. On the contrary, these colors help them blend in with different elements of the background: the black fur merges with tree trunks and shadows, while the white fur blends with leaves and the snowy background in winter. Even the contrasting light and shadow on rocks match the panda’s two colors. Given that the color tones of the panda’s habitat change with the seasons, these black-and-white patches can be seen as an adaptation to seasonal variation.

In other words, the panda’s black-and-white coloration actually provides an additional camouflage effect, making it appear not as a complete animal but rather as separate patches of dark and light in the eyes of predators. This effect becomes even more pronounced from a distance. The study’s models show that beyond 55 meters, the outline of a panda becomes indistinguishable to predators.

Panda Colors: Nature’s Camouflage

In conclusion, the panda’s black-and-white coloration is a natural evolution for defensive camouflage. However, to us humans, it’s undeniably cute and amusing.