Pandas: Endangered Animals in the World
Pandas are among the most endangered animals in the world. They are often victims of poaching and illegal trade for their furs, which can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on the black market.
Giant Pandas: National Treasure in China
Giant pandas are considered a national treasure in China. They are also part of the country's most important watershed as they help replenish rivers, which supply essential rainfall for the country's population.
Natural Habitat in Southwest China
They are native to the mountains and forests of southwest China. Their natural habitat is in bamboo forests which provide them with cool and wet climates as well as enough food to survive.
Camouflage and Nocturnal Behavior
Their black and white coats are excellent for camouflage and help them blend into their natural environment. They are primarily nocturnal, which means they spend most of their time looking for bamboo to eat.
Diet and Eating Habits
Although they eat mostly bamboo, they will sometimes eat some fruit and even small rodents called pikas. They also like honey, eggs, and fish. A typical giant panda eats 12-38 kg of food per day. They rely on bamboo for most of their calories and will suck down the more tender parts of the plant when it's available, as it provides more nutrition with less fiber. They will also eat insects and fruits, and some people have been known to see them eating animal remains which have been left behind by other predators, such as sabre-tooth tigers.
Giant Panda: Member of the Ursidae Family
The giant panda is a member of the Ursidae family, which includes bears and raccoons. Molecular studies in the 1990s place the giant panda within the same family as the brown bear (Ursus arctos) and the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus).
Behavior and Reproduction
Their diet is mainly bamboo, but they will also eat fruits and other vegetables from their garden. They also like to eat meat and may occasionally eat small mammals. They are a solitary species and live in their own territories. They are mono-oestrous and only mate once a year between March and May. Females raise their cubs alone until they are about 5 years old.
Adaptations and Habitat Loss
Despite their size, they can climb trees and are capable of swimming. They can also stand on their hind legs, somersault and roll around and dust bathe. Pandas are able to eat almost 80 pounds of bamboo each day and require dense and abundant forest with an abundance of water sources. As a result, the giant panda's habitat is dwindling in many places.
Newborn Pandas and Adaptive Features
Newborn giant pandas are the smallest newborns in the entire mammalian phylogenetic tree. They are about 1/900th of their mother's size, which is very small for a mammal. They have an enlarged wrist bone which is used to grasp bamboo stems with a "pseudo thumb" similar to that of a human's thumb, which allows them to handle bamboo without having to use their front paws. They will then suck down the bamboo with their powerful jaws and strong teeth. Because they eat bamboo, they are also very susceptible to deforestation. This can lead to the extinction of these adorable creatures.
