Giant Panda

Panda Facts: Important Details about the Animal

Pandas or more commonly known as giant pandas basically resemble the physical appearance of a bear. These organisms are basically known for their distinctive features and they also have a very obvious black and white coloration due to the presence of fur in their bodies. The limbs, shoulders, and ears of pandas are coated with black fur. Also, the belly, face, and the middle portion of their back are coated mostly with white fur. Not to mention that their eyes are also coated with black fur. This is exactly what provides the complexion to the pandas in the best way.

Researchers have several panda facts that make better mention of the use of the fur but they have not yet figured out the reason for this distinctive fur type in pandas. However, it has been suggested that the color helps in providing some camouflage protection to the pandas that reside in the forest areas. With the help of our notes, students will be able to learn more about pandas such as where do pandas eat and where are pandas found along with some other information as well.

Common Panda Facts and Details

• Scientific Name: Ailuropoda melanoleuca

• Basic Animal Group: Mammal

• Lifespan: 20 years (in the wild)

• Common Names: Giant panda

• Weight: 150–300 pounds

• Size: 2–3 feet tall right at the shoulder when they are standing on four legs and about 5-feet tall when standing erect

• Habitat: Broadleaf forests and mixed forests, locations where bamboo might be present, mainly found in southeast China

• Conservation Status: Vulnerable

• What do pandas eat: Omnivore

• Population: About 1,600

Description of a Panda

Pandas have a very distinctive body shape that is identifiable to the human eyes. There is a striking resemblance to the body shape of a bear. However, the size of a panda is almost equal to that of an American black bear. There is a very obvious coating of black and white fur present on the body of the bear and along with their ears as well. However, there are some areas of the body that are white in color. This is something that gives the distinctive look to a panda’s body.

The molars in Giant pandas are flat and have a broad surface as well. This is something that comes in handy when the animals feel the need to crush certain tough bamboo shoots and several types of leaves as well as stems that they need to eat. Along with that, pandas also have a very large wrist which serves a very important purpose. The wrist bone is often used as an opposable thumb and that helps the pandas in grabbing the bamboo shoots and stems as well. It is a known fact about pandas that they do not need to hibernate. Pandas are also considered to be the rarest of the species in the entire bear family.

These are some of the details which are really important when it comes to gathering panda information. Students can use this information to know more about the species and learn interesting facts about it as well. We are pretty sure that these notes are going to be extremely useful in that process.

Range and Habitat of Pandas

When it comes to the question of where do pandas live, there are several examples that can be given with regards to their habitat. For example, pandas often tend to have their habitat in the mixed forests as well as the broadleaf forests as well. These are some of the main areas where there might be a presence of bamboo shoots which is a staple diet of pandas. These details would sufficiently answer all the questions about where pandas are found.

These forests are mostly a part of Southeast China and hence pandas often like to reside there. These animals often have a call which they use in order to communicate with one another. A very different type of communication that they use is scent marks. One of the most important panda facts is that they tend to have a very sophisticated sense of smell and hence these scent markings prove to be very useful during communication and it also helps in defining their territories.  

Behavior and Diet of Pandas

One of the most common things that people ask about pandas is what do pandas eat. Well, to be completely honest, pandas have a highly specialized diet as they are very particular about what to include in their diet. Pandas love to live in areas that have bamboo shoots. This is a food source that consumes about 99% of their entire diet. However, there are also several species of pandas that tend to hunt for small rodents and pikas as well. Bamboo might not be that great of a source when it comes to nutrition and hence they need to make sure that there is enough compensation when it comes to food. That is one of the main reasons why they consume large amounts of plants as well. We hope that these details are able to answer the questions about what do pandas eat.

Pandas often tend to stay in smaller areas so that they can conserve their energy in the best way. In order to have sufficient consumption, they need to make sure that they are consuming as much food as they can. Hence, pandas take about 10 to 12 hours a day in order to feed themselves properly.

It is a very important thing to notice that there are some types of pandas that have jaws that are very powerful. Along with that, the molar teeth are also pretty flat and large. This is a particular structure that ensures that pandas are able to properly grind their food in the best way. Since bamboo and stems are pretty hard, the presence of strong teeth in pandas is clearly justified in the best way. One pattern that pandas follow when they are eating is that they tend to do that sitting in an upright position. The reason behind using this particular position is that it helps the pandas in grabbing the different bamboo stems in the best way.

When we are talking about panda information, it is also essential to know about the digestive system of a panda. Now the digestive system of several pandas is pretty much insufficient and there aren’t many adaptations that are required in herbivorous mammals. So, most of the bamboo and stems that they tend to consume get transferred through their system and are commonly excreted as waste. For water consumption, pandas have bamboo again. Also, they tend to have a drink of water from forest streams that are situated in their habitats.

Reproduction and Offspring

Apart from knowing where pandas are found, people also need to know about the reproduction process in pandas so that they can gather as much information as necessary. Our notes are helpful in describing that aspect as well. When it comes to the mating season in giant pandas, the months between March and May are simply the best. So, going by that data, the younger generation of baby pandas is born in the month of August or September. When it comes to breeding, giant pandas are unable to do so when they are held captive.

The babies or the younger giant pandas, when born, are pretty helpless. The eyes of the babies are not fully opened as it takes some time. The eyes take about 8 weeks to open fully and till then the babies need to have all the care and attention of their mother. Even after the eyes have opened, it is important that the baby pandas get all the care for about 1 year so that they can become self-sufficient after that. This time period when baby pandas need to have the utmost care is known as weaning. Pandas take about 3 years in total to mature and hence till then they need to have attention and motherly care for sure. It is also one of the biggest giant panda facts that these animals are declared as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In fact, there are just about 1600 different giant pandas that are left on the entire planet. Most pandas that are held captive are done so in countries such as China.

Some Interesting Giant Panda Facts

Here we are going to present some of the most interesting panda facts that people might need to know about.

• Giant Pandas Tend To Be Really Great At Swimming and Climbing Trees

While giant pandas might not be able to stand tall for a very long time, it is a known fact that they are really good swimmers. Apart from that, there is also a fact that pandas are really good tree climbers for sure. From the age of 7 months, pandas are able to climb trees. Since they feed on bamboo and stems, they need to perch themselves high on the trees and hence they are very good at doing so without any trouble for sure.

• Pandas Change Color

This is another very interesting fact about pandas that most people might not know about. Pandas tend to be in different colors when they are at different stages of their life. For example, pandas, when born maintain the color pink and they are completely hairless as well. They actually retain the color and looks of baby badgers. Also, pandas are mostly blind when they are brown. The iconic color of black and white skin in pandas actually comes a lot later in life. It takes about 3 weeks for them to change the color to black and white. However, there are some pandas that don’t even turn black and white. There are some pandas that tend to retain the color of brown and white after some time of their birth.

• Pandas Can Be Very Lazy

While there are many organisms that often like to run around and socialize and remain active throughout the days and nights, pandas don’t seem to choose that lifestyle. In fact, it is a known fact that pandas are pretty lazy as they come. Pandas choose to spend their entire life eating and sleeping on lands and trees. They are not really active when they are not eating as well. Even in some species, breeding is not really that high on their priority list as well. That could be one of the main reasons why pandas are considered to be a species that is endangered.

• An Adult Panda can Eat a Lot of Bamboo

This might be a bit surprising to know about a panda that is an adult that can eat about 12-38 kilos of Bamboo in a single day. That might be quite a lot for some other animals but it is hardly anything for a panda. Bamboo tends to constitute about 99% of the entire diet of a panda. Hence, for a 45-kilo weighing panda, it is actually a balanced diet. A panda spends about 12 hours every single day eating. So, there is simply not a single speck of doubt that they can eat a lot of bamboo. The main reason behind this is that bamboo doesn’t really fulfill the criterion of nutrition when they consume it in smaller amounts.