Quick Facts
- Type
- Mammal
- Size
- 1.2–1.9 m (body length)
- Weight
- 70–125 kg
- Habitat
- Mountain bamboo forests of central China
- Diet
- Almost entirely bamboo
- Active Time
- Active at dawn, dusk, and night
- Lifespan
- About 20 years in the wild
Field Notes
- A giant panda may eat bamboo for 12–16 hours and consume over 12 kg a day.
- It has a 'pseudo-thumb', an enlarged wrist bone used to grip bamboo.
- Newborn pandas are pink, blind, and about the size of a stick of butter.
About the Giant Panda
The giant panda is a bear native to the bamboo forests of central China, instantly recognized by its bold black-and-white coat. Although classified as a carnivore, it feeds almost entirely on bamboo and must eat for many hours a day to meet its energy needs. A bony wrist 'pseudo-thumb' helps it grip stalks while feeding. Once endangered, decades of conservation have improved its status to vulnerable. Pandas are mostly solitary, and cubs are born tiny and pink, growing into the familiar fluffy bears.
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