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"Large Date" Variety The panda is a large mammal about the size of a black bear. Adult pandas grow to be about 5-6 feet high. There are actually two main types of pandas. The white and black variety is known as the giant panda. The other variety is much smaller and has red and black coat, known as the red panda. They weigh up to 276 pounds with males weighing 10% to 20% more than females. Giant pandas have a massive head, heavy body, short tail, rounded ears and plantigrade feet (both heel and toe make contact with the ground when walking, similar to humans). They have few natural enemies. The lifespan of a wild panda can be 25 years or more.
Many of the misconceptions Americans have about pandas come from the historical depiction of pandas as cuddly pets. It didn't help that the first panda brought to the United States was a cub carried in the arms of American socialite Ruth Harkness in 1936. The cub was brought to a Chicago zoo where it died within a year. Today, panda stuffed animals, pandas as mascots, and a “kung-fu” panda perpetuate old stereotypes.
The habitat of the giant panda consists of six small inland areas in China. These are cold, damp coniferous forest zones suitable for growing the bamboo which forms most of their diet. They have also been known to eat other plants, fish, pika and other small rodents. Elevation ranges from 4,000 to 11,000 feet above sea level. In most of the areas where they still roam wild, pandas compete with farmers who cultivate the river valleys and the lower slopes of the mountains.
Pandas are sedentary bears and usually stay in a selected feeding area, eating large amounts of bamboo (they eat over fifteen different varieties). They must feed for 12 to 16 hours a day due to an inefficient digestive system. They consume 22 to 40 pounds of bamboo each day but can consume about 84 pounds of fresh Bamboo shoots. The head of a panda is very large and has special molars for chewing plants. Powerful muscles extend from the top of the head to the jaws giving pandas the ability to crush very tough stalks. Their esophagus has a tough lining to protect against bamboo splinters. The stomach is protected with a thick muscular lining.
The giant panda has a body closely resembling that of a bear but possesses a retractable “thumb”, an extension of wrist bone that allows it to grab bamboo. This mix of characteristics has lead to debates as to if this species is related more to the bear or the raccoon. The basic fur color of the giant panda is white with black eye patches, ears, legs, feet, chest, and shoulders. Within its natural environment (the deep forest and, at upper elevations, snow and rock) its mottled coloring provides camouflage. There is speculation that its striking color pattern may be a message to other pandas to stay away. The fur is thick and consists of a coarse outer layer and a very dense, wooly underfur. The fur feels oily to the touch. This oily coating protects against the cool and damp climate the bear lives in. Its cousin, the red panda, has a much smaller body but with the same false thumb. It possesses a long tail and pointed ears, gaining it another Chinese name which directly translates to “fire fox”. The main part of the animal’s body, especially the torso and limbs, however, very closely resemble that of the giant panda in structure and coloration. Red pandas are normally categories into two types, distinguished by the coloring of their coats.
Pandas are one of the four bear species that do not hibernate. The natural food source of these bears is not sufficiently high in calories and protein to allow them to build fat reserves for a lengthy period of hibernation and they live in a habitat zone where food is available year round.
Pandas generally move in a slow, determined manner but will move at a slow trot to escape danger when startled. They are capable of climbing trees very easily with their short claws. Pandas typically only attack when they feel that they are in harm's way. When someone enters their space, it can be considered a threat to them or their cubs. A typical panda’s territory can vary from 1.5 to 2.5 square miles. This range is shared with other bears. Female pandas have been found to stay in very small areas of only 75 to 100 acres. Males have larger ranges which overlap the territory of several females.
Female giant pandas normally take 5 to 7 years to reach maturity. The mating season begins in late-March and continues on into May. Females stay in heat for a short time, normally two to seven days. Unlike any other bear, males will often roar to announce their presence to receptive females. Females may mate with several males during the breeding season.
New-born cubs are blind and very small, weighing from 3 to 4.5 ounces. They initially have a fine white fur which usually changes within a month of birth. Cubs are eating bamboo by the time they are 5 to 6 months old and are fully weaned at 9 months. At one year of age the cubs normally weigh about 75 pounds.