It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. Even though they aren’t related in any way, there are a couple similarities shared by these unique animals."Panda" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters We love the bamboo-munching sleepy pandas living in southeast Asia. Giant or Red, The Pandas of China Are Amazing Red pandas also have a modified wrist bone which they use to help them climb trees and hold their food while they eat. It will wake up every few hours to eat though. That means its body temperature and the energy it uses drop significantly. Its tail can help to keep the red panda warm, and although it doesn’t hibernate, when the temperature gets really cold, it can go dormant. A red panda's tail is as long as its body! They also curl their tails around them when they're sleeping. They use their long tails for balance as they move among tree branches, kind of like a cat. Their tails, aside from being luxurious, are an important feature. They’re also called “fire fox” because of their size and color. The color of its fur blends in quite nicely. One of its hiding places is a fir tree which is usually covered in a reddish-brown moss. Looking at its shiny red and black coat, you wouldn’t think that would make very good camouflage. The only real similarity between giant pandas and red pandas is their eating… and sleeping… habits. An adult red panda is only slightly larger than a domestic house cat! The scientific name for a red panda is Ailurus fulgens, which means “red, shining cat.” It’s the only member of the Ailuridae family. The red panda is actually more in line with a racoon or a skunk, rather than a bear. Red Panda Not-A-Bear Is More Like A Raccoon or Skunk Known as the “first panda,” the red panda was discovered almost 50 years before the giant panda. Unfortunately for him, a French zoologist published a paper on the red panda, complete with descriptions and drawings, before the naturalist… And the zoologist got the naming rights. In 1821, an English naturalist discovered the small, furry mammal and presented it to the scientific community. Which is how the little critter was found! Sherpas in the Himalayas call them ye niglva. Like in Nepal, they’re called bhalu biralo.
Depending on where you are, they have different names. They also live in Nepal, India, Bhutan, and Myanmar. The word “panda” is thought to have come from the Nepalese words nigalya ponya, which means “bamboo eater.” What About This Red Panda Not-A-Bear?Įven though the Giant Panda and the Red Panda are both called pandas, they aren’t related. These areas are cool and temperate, and bamboo grows in abundance. The giant panda lives in the provinces of Sichuan, Shanxi, and Gansu, which is about in the middle of the country. Bet they don’t have a panda bear tooth fairy, though. By age two, that set falls out and is replaced by a permanent set of teeth. The first set comes in when the panda is still a baby. Giant pandas have two sets of teeth, just like humans. The black patches of fur grow out of black patches of skin.
#PANDA BEAR SKIN#
Where the fur is white, the skin is pale. The black and white fur pattern of a panda is the same as its skin color. In ancient times, warring tribes would wave a picture of a panda to signal a truce. It helps in grabbing and breaking bamboo shoots.Ĭhina considers the panda a national treasure, and it’s seen as a symbol of peace. They have a special adaptation by way of a modified wrist bone, which they use like an opposable thumb.
They can’t build up enough fat reserves to be able to sleep for a few months like other bears!Īnother assist in munching on bamboo is their paws. The diet of bamboo is thought to be the main reason for this. Instead, when the weather in the higher elevations of China starts to get chilly, they move to the lower elevations.
Pandas also don’t hibernate like other bears. After eating, a panda will sleep from 2-4 hours! Because they eat so much of it, most of their time awake is spent munching on bamboo.Īll that chewing is apparently exhausting work, because pandas do love their nap time. Pandas eat so much of bamboo because the stalky plant isn’t very nutritious. And they eat a lot of bamboo.Īn adult panda will eat up to 75 pounds…yes, 75 pounds, or about 34 kilograms, of bamboo every day! And those chubby cheeks? Those are nothing but muscle! The combination of powerful muscles and molar teeth are how pandas can crush tough stalks of bamboo.
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