Giant Panda
Giant Panda Facts
| Size | 47-60 inches (120-150 cm) (body) |
| Speed | Up to 20 mph (32 km/h) (short distances) |
| Weight | 165-352 pounds (75-160 kg) |
| Lifespan | 14-20 years |
| Food | Bamboo |
| Predators | Snow leopard, eagle, marten, red dog |
| Habitat | China |
| Order | Carnivore |
| Family | Bears |
| Scientific name | Ailuropoda melanoleuca |
| Characteristics | Black and white bear; feeds 99% on bamboo |
Main Characteristics
Giant pandas are large, black and white bears that feed almost exclusively on bamboo. They live in China and their habitat is mainly mountainsides with dense bamboo forests. Unfortunately, they're one of the most threatened species, because there are only 500-1,000 left. This is why they're a symbol of wildlife conservation.
A Vegetarian Predator
Scientifically, giant pandas are predators and have the digestive system of a carnivore. However, they eat 99% bamboo. Their stomach and intestines have adapted to the plant-based diet. Yet, they don't miss a delicious fish or a small rodent as a snack.
Distribution and Habitat
Giant Pandas used to be found all over Southeast Asia, from Myanmar to Vietnam. Today, they only live in China, in six mountainous regions, mainly Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. They prefer subtropical mountain slopes with dense, moist forests.
Life Style
Giant pandas are solitary creatures active at dusk and at night. They spend more than half of the day eating bamboo. Other than that, they climb, swim or sleep.
Anatomy and Appearance
Size and Weight
Giant pandas have a body length of 47-60 inches (120-150 cm), a shoulder height of 23-35 inches (60-90 cm) and a weight of 165-352 pounds (75-160 kg).
Color
The most striking feature of the giant panda is its black and white fur. Scientists have discovered that it is a kind of camouflage. That sounds surprising, because in a green forest, black and white fur immediately catches the eye. However, in the wild they're not always surrounded by green plants. There are also many brown or gray rocks and trees and snow in winter. The animal blends into the landscape because the black fur looks like shadows and the white fur looks like light trees or stones.
Digits
Giant pandas have five digits on their hind feet. On their front feet they have an additional sixth, thumb-like digit. It is actually an enlarged wrist bone. This digit helps them hold onto the bamboo while eating.
Giant Panda or Red Panda – What’s the Difference?
Giant pandas and red pandas have many things in common: they are both called pandas, are at home in China, live in moist forests, are solitary animals and feed on bamboo. However, they're not closely related. The giant panda is a bear, while the red panda belongs to the marten family, more specifically the “Ailuridae”. They also differ in appearance. The giant panda is larger and heavier. It is black and white, has round ears and a short tail. Its closest relative is the South American spectacled bear.
Diet
#bamboolove
Anatomically speaking, giant pandas are carnivores. However, they feed on 99% of bamboo, namely the leaves, the young shoots and the hard, fibrous stems. The remaining 1 % of their diet is made up of grass, fruits and occasionally small rodents and birds.
Always Looking for Food
Pandas spend at least 12-15 hours eating every day.
The Art of Eating Bamboo
They use their large molars to strip the bark from the bamboo to get to the juicy interior.
Daily Amount of Bamboo
Giant pandas need 22-66 pounds (10-30 kg) of bamboo every day, which is about 40% of their own body weight.
Why Do Giant Pandas Eat So Much Bamboo?
Giant pandas don't eat so much just for fun. Bamboo isn't very nutritious, so they need a lot of it. In addition, they can only digest 20% of their food. The remaining 80% are excreted undigested - more than twelve times a day.
Adaptation to the Habitat
How did the giant panda adapt to its habitat? Over many millions of years it has developed some important characteristics in order to survive:
- Black and white fur for camouflage
- Warm fur for chilly weather
- Large molars for grinding food
- Powerful jaw muscles for chewing
- Digestion adapted to bamboo
- Sixth digit for holding bamboo
- Strong legs for climbing
Behavior
Communication
Surprisingly, pandas are not as quiet as they seem. They have at least 11 different sounds that they use to communicate with other animals. They bleat in a friendly manner or blat like goats, they bark, growl and hiss. Baby pandas quack and squeak.
Are Giant Pandas Dangerous?
Giant pandas look very cute and are considered gentle and peaceful. They prefer to retreat rather than engage in fights during conflicts with other bears or humans. However, if they feel threatened, they can become very dangerous. For example, when people walk too close to the fence at the zoo or animal sanctuary or stick an arm through the fence (usually to take photos). In rare cases, people have been attacked and injured.
Senses and Abilities
Swimming
You might think that giant pandas are too large and heavy to swim and would rather drown. Don't worry, actually they're adept and swimming and love to do so.
Climbing
Giant pandas can indeed climb! With their powerful legs, they enjoy climbing trees, and even young cubs just a few months old are quite adept at climbing.
Life Expectancy
In the wild, giant pandas live to be 14-20 years old.
Enemies and Threats
Natural Enemies
The giant panda's natural enemies are snow leopards and eagles. Martens, red dogs and weasels are a danger to the babies.
Human Impact
Loss of Habitat
Giant pandas used to have much more living space. The global population has seen a substantial rise, particularly in China, leading to extensive development of cities, roads, and factories, alongside significant agricultural and livestock activities that require considerable land.
Loss of Food Sources
Giant pandas need a lot of bamboo to survive. When there is no more bamboo in an area, they move on. Unfortunately, this is hardly possible for them today, as more and more bamboo forests are being cut down to create living space for people.
How Many Giant Pandas Are Left?
The giant panda is on top of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Fortunately, since 2016 it is no longer classified as “endangered” but as “vulnerable”. Nevertheless, the nature conservation organization WWF estimated in 2014 that there were only 1,800 animals left. The IUCN published a figure of 500-1,000 in 2016. There are no recent figures available (as of August 2024).
Importance for the Ecosystem
They spread seeds through their droppings. Seeds also collect in their fur and fall off as they move through their habitat. They are like gardeners.
Reproduction
Mating Season and Birth
Giant pandas reproduce between March and May. The gestation period lasts 95-160 days. At birth, a panda cub is blind and naked. It's body length is only 6 inches (15 cm) and it weighs only 3.5 ounces (100 grams), which is about the same as a chocolate bar. Or, put differently - its weight is about 0.001% of the mother's body weight. The cub rides on the mother's back until it is six months old - then it can keep up with her. After a year it already weighs 100 pounds (45 kg). It stays with its mother for at least 18 months before going its own way.
Multiple Births
Half of all giant panda births result in twins. Since the species is endangered, this seems to be good news. However, the mother doesn't have enough milk for both. As a result, she abandons the weaker cub and focuses on the stronger one. However, when twins are born in nature reserves, both have a good chance to survive. The cubs are swapped every three to four hours: One cub remains with its mother while the other is temporarily separated. The mother isn't aware of it and nurses both offspring.
Name
Giant panda literally means “big bear cat” in Chinese. The scientific name “Ailuropoda melanoleuca” comes from Greek and means something like “black and white cat’s foot”. It is also called bamboo bear, panda bear or just panda.
Brown Pandas
No, this is not a joke, they're real! At first glance, brown pandas look like a type of albino, but they aren't. In 2005, after extensive genetic studies, the brown panda was recognized as an independent species. It differs from the black and white panda in having a smaller head and larger molars. And, of course, by the color of the fur. It is also called the cocoa panda for the color of its fur. Its official name is Qinling panda because it lives in the forests of the Qin Ling Mountains.
Fun Facts
Oldest Panda
The oldest giant panda kept in captivity was a female named Jia Jia. She was born in 1978 and passed away in 2016, reaching the age of 38.
Oldest Ancestor
The oldest known ancestor of the giant panda lived 2-4 million years ago. Its scientific name is Ailuropoda microta.
Most Panda Babies
In captivity, the birth of a giant panda is a very rare event. However, according to the Guinness Book of Records, a total of 30 (!) little panda cubs were born in 2006, most of them at the Wolong Panda Research Center in southwest China.
Longest Gestation Period
Giant pandas typically have a gestation period of 95-160 days. In 2004, a female named Shu Lan had a gestation period of 200 days.
The Giant Panda Is Related To:
Animals in the Same Biome:
- Asian Black Bear
- Bengal Cat
- Eagle
- Red Deer
- Red Dog
- Red Panda
- Shrew
- Snow Leopard
- Weasel
- Yellow-Throated Marten
Sources:
- "A late Turolian giant panda from Bulgaria and the early evolution and dispersal of the panda lineage" (https://www.tandfonline.com)
- "The giant panda is cryptic" (https://www.nature.com)
Recommended Videos:
Endangered Animal Species
Animal Eating Habits
