Scientific name Ailuropoda melanoleuca, the panda or giant panda is one of the most famous animals in the world. Stuffed animals, drawings, t-shirts, costumes… Of course, their presence is notable in almost any field. But, did you know that its origin could be Spain and not China? On our site we will learn all the details about this fascinating and ancient species that arouses so much sympathy with its adorable appearance, as well as the dangers that lie in wait for it and how we could combat them. Keep reading and discover all about the panda bear, information for children and adults that allow us to know more about this precious animal.
Origin of the Panda Bear
Although it has always been thought that the species originated in Asia, new evolutionary studies have questioned this well-established belief. Specifically, they place the origin of a primitive species of current panda bears, that is, a genetically speaking ancestor, in the Iberian peninsula This new theory has arisen as a result de fossil remains found in Barcelona and Zaragoza, older than those found in China, since the remains found in Spain are between 11 and 12 million years old, while those found in China were 7 or at most 8 million years old. The theory is that the origin of the subspecies of pandas is found in the peninsula, and that from there it spread throughout Eurasia, although it is currently only found in China and some parts of Southeast Asia.
Although for years the panda bear has been an endangered species, in 2014 considerably more specimens were recorded than in the previous decade, specifically 1,864 pandas were recorded in the wild. For this reason, since September 4, 2016, the international authorities in charge of this categorization, specifically the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)[1], changed the category of pandas, becoming a vulnerable species instead of a threatened one, since it is considered that it is no longer at such risk of extinction, barring some unforeseeable catastrophe, since the number of individuals has passed 2000
Panda Bear Features
The size of a panda bear is variable. Giant pandas can weigh more than 150 kilograms, with males being larger than females; the height can be almost two meters, although they are usually between 1.4 and 1.8 meters long; the height at the withers is around 90-100 centimeters. In this way, when making a description of the panda bear we can say that they are quite corpulent bears, with a robust and rounded appearance A special characteristic is They have a "sixth finger" on the front extremities, longer than the rear ones, which resembles the human thumb, since it allows them to grasp and hold objects, as well as climb. It is not really a jointed finger, but an extension of the wrist bone.
Continuing with the physical characteristics of the panda bear, the head is flat, with a rather small snout, ending in a developed nose, which allows it to enjoy excellent sense of smell The eyes are small with long, non-round pupils, similar to those of a domestic feline. The ears are round, large and erect, the tail is round, in the shape of a pompom, which usually measures about 10-12 centimeters in circumference.
Without a doubt, the fur of a panda is the hallmark of identity of the species, a mix between black and white, but distributed in a particular way. The distribution would be as follows: black on the nose, ears, shoulders, and limbs, along with the eye patches; white on chest, belly, face, and back. It is not really a nuclear white, but a slightly yellowish tone.
Where does the panda bear live?
If you wonder what the habitat of the panda bear is, we can say that in the wild it lives exclusively in isolated regions of the mountains of Chinaand some places in Southeast Asia. It lives in bamboo forests, where the climate is characterized by a high degree of humidity and temperatures are quite low, which is normal because they live in areas where the altitude is higher than the 1500 meters However, in winter, when temperatures are extreme and snowfalls abundant, they can go down to areas around 1000 meters high.
Panda bears do not like the company of humans, which is why they prefer areas where agriculture or livestock are not practiced, preferring coniferous and pine forests where there are large amounts of bamboo. There the foliage is dense and thick, thus trying to prevent humans from bothering them; to spot people they quickly run away and hide.
One of the great threats that hangs over this species is that the subtropical forests where they used to live, which extended over wide valleys throughout China, have been replaced by plantations of rice, wheat and other cereals. These forests were below the 1,500 meters of altitude that we mentioned, and bamboo abounded, but since the pandas have disappeared, they have been forced to seclude themselves in the high mountains where there are still small areas of forest, normally located between 1,500-2,000 meters high, although most often they have to climb more than 2000 to find regions where there is enough bamboo to ensure their survival. In this way, the habitat of the panda bear has been threatened and is one of the main reasons why it is part of the list of animals in danger of extinction.
Panda Bear Feeding
Pandas are omnivorous animals, although there is a fairly widespread belief that they are totally herbivorous, since they feed on vegetables such as roots, bulbs or flowers, as well as bamboo, which is what they consume the most amount. But really, if we stick to its anatomy, the panda bear presents the digestive system of a carnivore, what's more, its diet usually includes foods of animal origin such as eggs or small mammals and rodents.
The fact that its stomach is that of a carnivore makes it clear that the panda had to change its diet in order to survive, which is why today these animals traditionally feed on bamboo, since in times of scarcity was the only thing they always had access to in the lush forests of Ancient China. Of course, feeding mainly on grass, the panda needs to eat huge amounts of bamboo every day. As we say, this is because its digestive system is not that of a herbivore, which means that it does not assimilate nutrients in the same way that a pure herbivore would. This is why an adult panda needs to consume such exorbitant amounts of bamboo, as are the approximately 20 kilos of this plant that they ingest daily.
To learn more about panda feeding, don't miss this article.
Panda Bear Customs
To continue with the description of the panda bear, we are now going to talk about its daily habits. The panda is an animal that carries out its daily activity at two times, at sunrise and sunset, the rest of the day is quite sedentary, limiting itself to eat and hide in the woods where they live. He can spend between 12 and 14 hours a day just eating, dedicating even more time to that task than sleeping.
Because it lives in subtropical climate zones, the panda bear does not hibernate like other bears such as the brown, although it does adapt the time depending on the time of year. In addition, since it does not hibernate, it has to migrate to less cold areas in which to find food, since the shoots and plants on which it lives disappear with frost and snow.
The panda bear is generally solitary and independent, although it does establish relationships with its peers, these being quite friendly as long as one does not interfere in the other's territory. As for the territory, the panda marks the area that it considers its own with scratches on the bark of the trees, with urine and also with feces, so when another panda sees or smells these signs it can be alerted and leave that territory to avoid confrontations.
Panda Bear Play
Panda bear breeding season only lasts between 1 and 5 days, is once a year and usually occurs between the months of March and May, depending on the weather and the availability of resources. That is why it can be difficult for mating to occur, and if the male and female do not meet in that short period of time, another year will have to pass before they can breed again.
When the female is in heat several things can happen, if, for example, no male finds her, she will simply go into heat and it will not be until the following year that she will have the opportunity to reproduce again. The opposite can also happen, that is, more than one male finds the same female, in which case the males would face each other, the winner being the one who will copulate with the female after spending a few days together. Likewise, they affect factors such as the age of each of the pandas, if this is very uneven, copulation will probably not occur, as well as if the couple does not understand each other or collides with each other. Thus, panda bear courtship is complex, therefore, and because of the short duration of its reproductive season, it is not easy to repopulate the species.
Once copulation has been successful, and if the pregnancy has developed without notable problems, the pups will be born in about 100-160 days, depending on the amount of egg implantation and embryonic development. Thus, during the months of August or September, a litter consisting of two or three panda cubs would be born, which will weigh approximately between 90 and 130 grams and will take about seven weeks to open their eyes. Until then, the mother will always remain with them, without leaving her shelter, not even to feed. Only when they have opened their eyes will the sacrificial mother come out to replenish her strength by consuming large amounts of food.
All this information about the panda bear for children and adults allows us to see the factors that threaten the species and the reasons why it is in danger of extinction. To learn how to protect them, don't miss the article "How to protect endangered animals".
Curiosities
- Did you know that when they are born they have pink skin and white fur? Black spots appear as they develop.
- A panda bear can live an average of 20 years.
For more curious facts, don't miss the article "Curiosities of the panda bear".
