There are two types of pandas in the world: giant pandas and red pandas.
However, these two organisms look completely different. The giant panda is black and white in color, and its body size is closer to what we know as a bear; The red panda is bright all over and looks more like small animals such as weasels or minks.
Why are two creatures with such a big difference called pandas? Many people think that a red panda is a young giant panda, or that a raccoon is a red panda, but these ideas are all wrong! The baby of a giant panda is called a giant panda cub, not a red panda, and the raccoon and the red panda are not members of the same family. In fact, the name panda actually refers to a red panda!
In 1825, French zoologist Frédéric Cuvier first described and named a red panda, and praised it as "the most beautiful animal he has ever seen". At that time, the English name for a red panda was Panda. More than forty years later, scientists discovered another larger type of panda, which was structurally very similar to red pandas. In order to distinguish between these two types of pandas, scientists renamed the panda discovered in 1825 as Lesser panda or Red panda, and the panda discovered in 1869 as Giant panda or Panda.
So the reason why red pandas are called red pandas is because giant pandas are called pandas; The reason why giant pandas are called pandas is because pandas call them little pandas.
