Panda Bear
Panda Bear, classified Ailuropoda_melanoleuca
in the bear family, is listed as an endangered species,
and is now limited to the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu,
and Shanxi of China. This is a debatable issue that
whether the Panda should be referred as a bear: scientists
and researchers differ in their observance that whether
Panda is truly a bear or it is a raccoon! However, there
are two types of species in Panda Bear, i.e., white
and black, and the red pandas, but the white and black
panda bear is most commonly known and popular.
Panda Bear, in general, has a round head, stocky body,
and short tail. The weight of an adult Panda is around
350 pounds, while a newborn cub weighs around 5 ounces.
The height up to the shoulders ranges from 65 to 70
cm. These have a distinction of having black and white
markings on the body, as the limbs, eyes, ears and shoulders
are all black, while the rest of the body is white.
When a cub is born, it is totally white and the black
markings develop thereafter. One more notable feature
of Panda Bears is that they have an extra, opposable
digit on the hand, which is known as the panda’s
thumb. The life span in the wild is around 25 years.
Panda bears mature at an age of 5 to 7 years, and females
increase their scent markings, and at the same time
become more vocal when sexually receptive. A female
Panda bear produce cubs once a year. Mating takes place
during March to May, while female is in estrous for
about 1 to 3 days. The cubs are born mostly in August
and September. The cubs are blind and small at the time
of birth. However, the mother helps to place the little
cub in a position to suckle, and the sucking tales place
for 14 times a day. The cubs remain with their mothers
for at least 18 months and then become independent.
Panda Bears descend to lower elevations during the
winter, and do not hibernate like other bears. They
usually take shelter in trees or caves rather building
permanent dens to stay. Generally, it is a solitary
animal except for the breeding period. Panda Bears are
good climbers and are also capable of swimming, though
these are primarily terrestrial. Panda Bear spends most
of the daytime in eating and the movement is very little.
Panda bear lives mostly in and around mountainous slopes
and bamboo is the major source of its diet. There are
around fifteen types of bamboo with different cycles—it
is a very poor nutritional diet but is available the
year round. These may also compete for a plentiful source
of food. Panda bears are well known for their upright
feeding, in which the forelegs are free to help in handling
the bamboo. The extra digit on the hand of the panda
bear is helpful in tearing the bamboo. The stomach walls
are strong enough to digest this diet. The population
of panda bears starts falling with the die-off cycle
for bamboos.
Further Reading
Animal Diversity Web
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ailuropoda_melanoleuca.html
Endangered Species: Panda Conservation
http://www.worldwildlife.org/pandas/conservation.htm
Animal Info
http://www.animalinfo.org/species/carnivor/ailumela.htm
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