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PANDA

Introduction

The name panda is used for two mammals that live in Asia. The giant panda and the lesser panda are thought to be related but are not much alike in appearance. The giant panda is generally classified as a bear. The lesser panda, also called the red, or common, panda, is placed in the raccoon family.

Where PANDAS live?

Some years ago the giant panda lived in areas throughout China and Myanmar. The number of giant pandas has been reduced drastically, however, because of illegal hunting and the destruction of the forests in which they live. The giant panda now is found only in small, remote bamboo forests, primarily in the mountainous areas of west-central China. The lesser panda is found in China, Myanmar, Nepal, and part of India. It lives in high mountain forests and bamboo thickets.

Physical Characteristics

The giant panda usually grows to 5 feet (1.5 meters). It weighs about 220 pounds (100 kilograms). It has creamy white fur marked with a black band across the shoulders and forelegs. It has black blobs on its ears and around its eyes. Its hind legs are also black.

The lesser panda grows to about 20 to 24 inches (50 to 60 centimeters) long from nose to rump. Its faintly ringed, bushy tail is about 11 to 19 inches (28 to 49 centimeters) long. It weighs about 7 to 10 pounds (3 to 4.5 kilograms). Its soft, thick fur is rich reddish brown above and black below. Its face is white and has a red-brown stripe stretching from each eye to the corners of the mouth. Its feet have hairy soles and claws that can be partially drawn back.

Behavior and Reproduction

Giant pandas usually live alone in bamboo forests. They are mainly ground dwellers, using caves, hollow trees, or rock crevices for shelter, but they can climb trees as well. They eat mainly bamboo. The average panda eats 30–60 pounds (14–27 kilograms) of bamboo leaves, stems, and shoots a day. It spends about 10 to 12 hours a day eating. Pandas in zoos, however, can survive on a diet of cereals, milk, and garden vegetables.

The lesser panda eats bamboo sprouts, grasses, fruits, other plant material, and sometimes small animals. It feeds at night. During the day the lesser panda sleeps in trees.

Female giant pandas give birth to one or two cubs. Newborns weigh about 4 ounces (100 grams). They are blind and have a sparse coat of fur. At the age of 5 months they begin to eat bamboo. After about 18 months old they become independent. Female lesser pandas also give birth to one or two young. The cubs stay with the mother for about a year or until the next litter is about to be born.

Ecological Issues

The giant panda is an endangered species. It is believed fewer than 1,000 giant pandas survive in the wild. Efforts are being made to protect these animals. The Chinese government has made the areas inhabited by pandas into nature preserves. About 100 giant pandas are kept in zoos. The Chinese government had lent the animals to other nations as a sign of friendship.