Panda géant vs St Helena Filmy Fern

Ailuropoda melanoleuca compared with Hymenophyllum capillaceum

Key Differences

• Panda géant is Vulnerable while St Helena Filmy Fern is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Panda géant	St Helena Filmy Fern
Kingdom	Animalia (animal)	Plantae (plante)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Polypodiopsida (Filicopsida)
Order	Carnivora (carnivores)	Hymenophyllales (Hymenophyllales)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Hymenophyllaceae
Genus	Ailuropoda (Giant Pandas)	Hymenophyllum
Species	Ailuropoda melanoleuca	Hymenophyllum capillaceum

Conservation Status

Panda géant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~1.9K

Trend: Increasing ↑

St Helena Filmy Fern

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Panda géant	St Helena Filmy Fern
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	20 years	—
Average Length	1.5 m	—
Average Weight	100.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Panda géant

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.

St Helena Filmy Fern

Habitat

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

Panda géant

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.