Giant Panda Facts

There is no doubt that we find the giant panda incredibly endearing. Looking like a big teddy bear, their actions are cute and almost everyone around the world has fallen in love with them.

Facts about giant pandas:

• Pandas can live for up to 20 years in the wild.
• The panda is native to China and they are very loved there
• Giant pandas typically like to be alone
• A panda eats almost all of their diet in bamboo
• A panda sleeps for 2 to 4 hours each day
• A panda can get up to 1.5 meters long and weight up to 50 kilograms
• They eat for two-thirds of the day and then the rest of their day is spent resting.
• A giant panda spends the winter in caves or a hollow tree when it is cold. They do not hibernate.
• The giant panda is so loved around the world that China has shared some of their animals with zoos. This has been a great help in also expanding the population.
• Giant pandas are very endangered. One of the reasons is that they have difficulty mating and only mate once per year. They have a low birth rate and typically only give birth to one baby.
• Giant pandas have an extra digit on their hand. This helps to tear away at the bamboo. They have a thick layer of mucus in their gut to protect their stomachs from the bamboo splinters.
• While giant pandas typically eat over twenty different types of bamboo, it is very low in nutrition and they have to eat 20 kg every day to get the nutrition that they need. That is why it can take a giant panda up to 16 hours in their feeding process.

Why do pandas eat bamboo?

Pandas eat bamboo because it is a food source that is available all throughout the year. Pandas have digestive systems that are made so that they can break down meat and plants but Pandas are not good hunters so they take bamboo because it is easy to get a hold of.

They choose to eat bamboo over any type of meat which isn’t always good for them because they only get around 20% of vitamins and minerals that are needed from foods when they eat bamboo. A panda that is large will need to eat around 40 pounds of bamboo each day in order to survive and to build up energy in order to make it through their day. This means that a typical panda will spend around 16 hours eating just to get enough energy to fuel their bodies.

Since bamboo does not give pandas a lot of energy, pandas are not able to last very long or to build up enough fat in order to have long periods of sleep or hibernation. The panda also cannot go for a long period of days or months without eating and therefore, they will eat bamboo and spend much time sleeping in order to conserve some of their energy.

What do pandas eat and drink?

A panda eats almost all of their diet in bamboo. They will eat around 20 different species of bamboos and they eat the root, leaves and the shoots. Pandas will eat different bamboo based on where they live and what season it is. For example, in the spring, the panda will eat different varieties of shoots while in the fall, they will eat the leaves of the bamboo.

The roots provide most of the nutrition that the panda gets, even though it is still very little, and so most of their diet depends on the roots in order to survive.

About 1% of the diet of a panda can be other foods, but this mostly applies to pandas that are in captivity. This means pandas in the zoos will sometimes eat apples and other fruits. Some pandas in the zoo are fed corn bread. Most of the food that is fed in the zoo is carefully chosen to make sure that the pandas are getting the right nutrition that they need to survive.
1% of the diet that pandas in the wild eat is meat.

Some pandas will hunt small rodents, fish, small birds and even insects that they find close to where they are living. Pandas are not considered to be very quick animals, so if they hunt meat, it is not something that they are very good at.

A panda that is held in a zoo does not spend as much time eating as a wild panda because they don’t have to look for their food and they have a variety other than bamboo. This means that they sleep less and eat less compared to pandas that are in the wild and have to find their own food sources.

Where do pandas live?

The panda is native to China and they are very loved there. This is where most pandas originated but now, pandas live all over the world in different zoos. There are less than 2,000 pandas that are found in the wild and there are only around 250 pandas that live in zoos around the world.

Pandas are found in regions that are mountainous and can be found in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi Chinese provinces between 5,000 and 10,000 feet in elevation. These wild pandas live in areas that are cool and wet and they are found in bamboo forests. These forests allow them to make homes out of stumps of trees or logs. These dens are made inside of the forests that the panda lives in.

It is important that the panda live close to the bamboo forests because bamboo is the biggest part of their daily intake of food.

How long do pandas sleep?

A panda sleeps for 2 to 4 hours each day and they sleep by laying on their backs, sides or stomachs. They love to stretch and to roll in a ball when they are sleeping. Pandas can sleep almost anywhere because they don’t really have many natural predators to worry about. Pandas will sometimes take a small nap in between their feedings.

Some pandas will sleep on the forest ground while others sleep in trees. Since pandas can climb very well, they will often times climb up a tree when they are sleeping.

Pandas that live in the zoo will usually be put on the same schedule that a wild panda would be on. The zoo does this so that it can copy their natural instincts and their body rhythms of activity and rest that they need.

How long do pandas live?

Most wild panda bears that live in the wild will live between 15-20 years. They are considered to be teenagers until they are five years of age and then between 5-18 years of age they are called youth pandas. When they reach 18 years, they become an old panda.

Pandas that live in the zoo usually live longer than wild pandas. Most pandas that live in the zoo can live up to 30 years of age, and the oldest lived to be 38 years old. The pandas that live in the zoo usually live longer than wild pandas because they don’t have to face the threats that pandas in the wild do such as weather and other environmental problems.

Why are giant pandas endangered?

Pandas that live in the wild will sometimes lose their habitat and when this happens, they die because they don’t have enough food to eat. Since pandas mostly eat bamboo to live, when their forests are taken down, they are not able to survive.

Since pandas only give birth every two years, the pandas aren’t being reproduced enough for there to be enough pandas to breed. Pandas have a hard time breeding because they are very choosy about their mates and because the female panda is only in heat for up to 25 days and only fertile up to 36 hours. This has caused the Giant Panda to become endangered.

Pandas also have to face the chance of being hunted. Many pandas have been killed by poachers in the wild. Pandas only live in the wild in bamboo forests in China and in the past, they lived in other places such as Vietnam and Burma. It is estimated that there are only around 1,900 pandas that live in the wild today.

Habitat loss can cause pandas to lose their home and to face starvation. Much of the habitat loss happens due to deforestation. This is when the forest is cleared away. Since pandas rely so much on bamboo, when their bamboo forests are destroyed or cut down, they lack the food and often have a hard time relocating.

Other animals have spend their whole lives adapting but this is not true for the panda. Even though their body is set up to be able to eat meat, the panda is not a very good hunter and will spend their day eating around 40 pounds of bamboo just to survive.

Are pandas dangerous?

Pandas can be dangerous because they are carnivores, even though they spend much of their time only eating bamboo. The panda has large bone features and they are very strong and have a very powerful bite. This bite is useful for the panda because it allows them to eat through the root of the bamboo so that they can survive.

Another thing about pandas is that they can climb fast and can swim well if they need to and they can be very aggressive if they feel threatened.

A panda can get up to 1.5 meters long and weight up to 50 kilograms and they have extremely strong jaw muscles and long, sharp teeth. This means that the panda can bite through most things.

Even pandas that are in the zoo can be aggressive if they feel threatened and they can bite and cause a deadly situation.

Why are pandas so playful?

Pandas spend the majority of their day eating. Since the bamboo is close to them, they don’t have to go on long hunts or spend long periods of the day hunting or looking for food. Since this is the case, most pandas will just hang around and be vocal. They are considered one of the most vocal bears that live and they make voice sounds such as barking and squealing when they are being fun and playful.

Most pandas love to be curious and to explore their area, as long as it is close to their bamboo forest, where they live. They also like to be playful and restful because they don’t spend a lot of time going far or moving much.

Pandas that are in the zoo are sometimes given toys to play with. They seem to love puzzles and other mind engaging activities. Some pandas love to do tricks such as somersaults.

Are pandas smart?

Pandas are considered to be very smart. Some pandas have been known to break out of places when they are held in zoos or other places. They love to explore their area and know how to work together with other pandas if there is a problem.

Some scientists talk about how pandas can use their senses to know when they are being tricked or trapped. They figure out how to solve problems such as climbing over things or reaching lower in order to get to their food.

Some pandas have been known to be in the circus and could ride bikes or play ball games. One panda could even take herself to the bathroom and use the toilet when needed. This proves that pandas are very smart and can be trained.

Why are pandas so clumsy?

Pandas are so clumsy because they eat so much bamboo. Since their diet is basically the bamboo, they have very low nutrition and vitamins. This diet causes the panda to have a slow metabolic rate.

Since the bamboo that they eat doesn’t give them much energy, many of the pandas have low thyroid levels. These different levels cause the panda to be slower and to seem to be clumsy. Sometimes a panda will sleep for hours between feeding and sometimes will take extra naps.

The way that they move their bodies can often times make them look like they are rolling around or being clumsy and they are very docile in their sleeping positions.

How long do pandas live in captivity?

There are around 250-300 pandas that live in zoos around the world. Most of the pandas that are found in zoos spend their life in the zoo. There have only been two successful reintroductions into the wild after being held in the zoo for some many years.

The problem with reintroducing the pandas into the wild is that they have a hard time of being accepted by other pandas because pandas like to live alone and do not want to give up their area for other pandas.

Many pandas that are introduced into the wild are beaten up and attacked by other pandas and releasing them strictly into the wild means that they might have a hard time finding food and being able to sustain themselves.

Some zoologists and conservation areas will make conservation habitats for pandas and sometimes they are released to these so that they can have enough food to sustain them.

What do pandas do for fun?

Pandas are considered to be very playful animals. They are also very curious and they like to look around the areas that they live in.

Pandas that live in the zoo are often given toys such as puzzles that they can figure out and play with. This helps to keep them entertained and to give them something to do so that they don’t get bored. Pandas also like to be active and like to show off so sometimes if you watch them at the zoo, you will see them doing somersaults or other fun tricks.

What are pandas’ predators?

A panda does not have a lot of predators that they have to face in the wild. Most of the predators include snow leopards, yellow-throated martens and jackals. The reason that the snow leopard is one of the biggest predators is because the panda and the snow leopard often share many of the same habitats so these predators can be dangerous for the panda bear cubs.

Since pandas are considered fairly peaceful, they try to not have confrontation with other animals but when they do have to fight back, they use their teeth and jaws to bite their predators. They can also climb and swim very quickly and since they are not hibernating animals, they are always there and ready to protect their area if they have to.

What is pandas habitat?

Most pandas that live in the wild are found in China in the regions of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. They usually are found in elevated areas between 5,000 to 10,000 feet in elevation. They live in the bamboo forest that is cool and wet. This allows them to be close to their food source since 99% of their diet is bamboo.

There are only around 20 different bamboo forests in China and most of the wild pandas live in Qinling and Minshan mountains. There are also many conservation areas that are supported by the Chinese to help keep the panda bears from going completely extinct.

Living in the mountains and in the bamboo forest provides the panda with good weather that is warm and cool and is rich in plenty of bamboo and water sources. This allows the panda to thrive in the wild and provides protection from the predators.

Pandas that live in the zoo are found in zoos all over the world. There are close to 300 different pandas found in zoos across the world.

Why are pandas hard to breed?

Pandas are hard to breed because it is hard for the pandas to find a mate. Since the average panda gives birth only once every two years, it makes them endangered and that means that they have a hard time finding a mate to breed with.

In order for a male panda to breed with a female panda, he must find a mate and compete against other pandas that are also looking for mates. When the dominate panda finds a female, he will mate with her many different times to ensure that she gets pregnant and this normally works.

When a panda is in the zoo, breeding can be even harder for the panda. Sometimes, when a panda is held in captivity, they either lose interest in mating or they are not sure how to mate. Some scientists feel that this happens because pandas are taken from their mothers too quickly and therefore they have never seen other pandas mate.
Some speculate that a panda that is held in the zoo might not have interest in mating with a female panda because there is no challenge or competition for another panda to mate with the panda.

Another problem for pandas overall is that a female panda only goes into heat one time a year and it lasts only up to 25 days, but sometimes much shorter. She only will mate with a male panda for 2-7 days while she is in heat and she is only fertile up to 36 hours once she is in heat.

When a male does not mate with the female in these allotted times, the female becomes uninterested and she will not mate and the male will have to wait for a whole year until she is in heat again.

Why are pandas black and white?

The giant panda has black and white fur and this fur is important for them because they need to be protected when they are in the wild. The black and white fur is used as a camouflage and these colorings make them seem to disappear when they are in a thick patch of bamboo. This gives them protection from their predators.

The white part of the panda helps the panda to hide when the weather is snowy. The dark part of the pandas arms and legs help the panda to be able to hide in shadows so that they are not seen by their prey.

The dark circles under the pandas eyes and their black ears are thought to help them to recognize other pandas and can be used as a sign of aggression when they are facing their predators.

Some scientists believe that pandas have such low coloration due to their diet of bamboo and the fact that bamboo does not provide them with very much nutrition.