Bambusbär vs Small Kidney Fern

Ailuropoda melanoleuca compared with Dryopteris napoleonis

Key Differences

• Bambusbär is Vulnerable while Small Kidney Fern is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bambusbär	Small Kidney Fern
Kingdom	Animalia (Tier)	Plantae (Pflanzen)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordatiere)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (Säugetiere)	Polypodiopsida (Echte Farne)
Order	Carnivora (Raubtiere)	Polypodiales (Tüpfelfarnartige)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Dryopteridaceae
Genus	Ailuropoda (Giant Pandas)	Dryopteris
Species	Ailuropoda melanoleuca	Dryopteris napoleonis

Conservation Status

Bambusbär

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~1.9K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Small Kidney Fern

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bambusbär	Small Kidney Fern
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	20 years	—
Average Length	1.5 m	—
Average Weight	100.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bambusbär

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in China. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Small Kidney Fern

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Bambusbär

Iconic black-and-white bear of the mountain bamboo forests of central China, giant pandas can weigh up to 125 kg and spend up to 14 hours daily consuming bamboo, which comprises 99% of their diet despite belonging to the order Carnivora. Solitary and elusive, they have a pseudo-thumb for gripping bamboo stems. Downgraded from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2016 following successful conservation and breeding programs.