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This is the giant version of the zoo, where the black and white patterns are completely different. It does not look like this in the jungle. J. Patrick Fisher, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

One of the reasons why the giant panda is preferred as a symbol of animal protection is its clean appearance with a sharp contrast between white and black. Unlike normal mammals covered with dull brown fur, pandas have a white body around a black belt around their chest, and their limbs, ears and eyes are black, so they naturally attract attention. This raises the question of whether it is possible to live in the wild with such strikes and colors. However, in analysis using the latest imaging technology, the panda’s appearance shows a camouflage effect comparable to that of irresponsible crabs and mice in the wild.

In the wild, even at close range, the color of the pandas does not strike like zoos. Courtesy of Wei Fuen.

According to a study published in the latest issue of the scientific journal Scientific Reports, an international research team including Oshi Nokelainen, a biologist at the University of Uveskilla in Finland, “white and black forms of pandas, as is commonly known, melt away. It has the effect of avoiding the eyes. In panda habitats, predators such as tigers, leopards and wild dogs (dhow) lived mainly targeting young pandas. Using advanced image technology, the researchers studied how the shapes and exteriors of pandas look from the eyes of animals such as predators and humans.

As the distance increases and the color of the panda mixes with the different colors of the environment, it is difficult to separate them. Courtesy of Wei Fuen.

The white form of the panda resembles the light reflected from the leaves in summer and the snow in winter. Courtesy of Wei Fuen.

As a result, the black markings of the panda mingled with the shade of the forest and the dense trunks of trees. Also, the white area went well with shiny leaves in summer and snow accumulated in winter. Researchers have found that panda fur is not only white and black, but also medium in color. The paper writes that these mittens “fit well with rocks and soil, provide a neutral color between very light and very dark areas of the habitat, and provide a smooth transition between backgrounds”. “The Sichuan and Quinling giant pandas are brown instead of black, which may explain the evolutionary variation of the Mitons,” the researchers added.

Sinling panda with brownish black pattern of other local pandas. Even a panda with only black and white shapes, if analyzed in detail, has a mitten area. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The large, clear black-and-white shape of the panda was revealed to have the effect of disturbing the exterior when viewed from a distance. Panda’s natural enemies, cat and reed hunters, have far worse vision than humans. For example, a hyena hunting in the dark cannot see the zebra’s stripes at a distance of 50 meters. “The black and white shapes of the pandas are beautiful when viewed up close, but when they are more than 12 meters long, the exteriors of the animals are confusing,” the researchers said.

From a distance, the clear black and white shape of the panda obscures the exterior of its body. Courtesy of Wei Fuen.

Even in the snow, the clear black and white shapes make it difficult to distinguish the shape of the animal. Courtesy of Wei Fuen.

Eventually, the panda becomes an animal, making it very difficult to identify its color or appearance in its natural environment. Researchers also say that cats need to be included in any precautionary measures against the virus. In fact, Tim Carro, a professor and professor at the University of Bristol in the UK, said: “When a Chinese colleague sent me a picture of a panda taken in the jungle, it was difficult to find out where the panda was. Will be invisible In this university press release Said. Professor Nicholas Scott-Samuel, who participated in the study, said, “The reason why giant pandas stand out is because they are so close to the zoo or so different from the background landscape. In shady areas, the clear black and white pattern blends in with the background and obscures the exterior. ” He argued that the lines obscure the exterior and confuse the lions that go hunting at dusk (Does zebra printing confuse hunters? I experimented) Documents cited: Scientific reports, DOI: 10.1038 / s41598-021-00742-4 Reporter Joe Hong-siop [email protected]