BC-324 - Giant Panda Skull, Adult

The giant panda or Ailuropoda melanoleuca is found in the mountain ranges of central China. While the panda is included in the order Carnivora, it almost exclusively eats bamboo, spending up to 14 hours a day consuming the woody plant. The panda is considered to be in the bear family, representing an early evolutionary split in the family tree. There are a few characteristics distinguishing pandas from bears; pandas do not hibernate, pandas have developed a specialized wrist bone that helps it hold bamboo, and panda cubs are remarkably small when born, weighing only 3.5-7 ounces. This impressive specimen was cast from an adult female.

2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw)