Giant+Panda

=Giant Panda= Bryan9 Ailurus fulgens styani

The Giant Panda's name speaks for itself it is a giant. It is a gentle animal though it gets killed alot i dont get why though this is a very cool animal. They do eat meat they eat bamboo. They usually live in china.

Giant pandas are about 150 cm long from nose to rump, with a 10-15 cm tail. A large adult panda can weigh about 100-150 kg, with males 10% larger and 20% heavier than females.
 * Size**

http://www.livingplanet.com/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/our_solutions/endangered_species/giant_panda/index.cfm

=Diet= Their adaptations for feeding on bamboo make them morphologically unique. Giant pandas possess huge molar teeth and powerful masticatory muscles for breaking the woody portion of bamboo and chewing the stem, culms, and leaves. In addition, their forepaws are equipped with a sixth "digit" that acts as a thumb for holding bamboo. This "thumb" is derived from the radial sesamoid bone of the wrist.http://www.4panda.com/panda/pandatips/diet.htm

=Population= Approximately 1,600 individuals in the wild = = http://panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/our_solutions/endangered_species/giant_panda/index.cfm

=Lifespan= The giant panda's life span in the wild has not been accurately documented, but Chinese scientists report that some pandas in zoos have lived to be 35 years old. Hsing-Hsing, who lives in the National Zoo, turned 29 in 1999. Most animals live longer in captivity than in the wild.http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/panda/ =Habitat= Giant pandas are found only in the dense bamboo and coniferous mountains of central China -- They occupy 6 small forest fragments in small isolated areas of the north and central portions of the Sichuan Province, in the mountains bordering the southernmost part of Gansu Province, and in the Qinling Mountains of the Shaanxi Province (about 5,400 square miles). =http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/panda.html= The elevation ranges from 1,200 to 3,400 meters (4,000 to 11,000 feet) high. The mountains are shrouded in heavy clouds with torrential rains or a dense mist throughout the year. In most of the areas in which they still roam wild, they must compete with the farmers who farm the river valleys and the lower slopes of the mountains. http://www.giantpandabear.com/DHTML/habitat.html http://www.thewildones.org/Anihttp://www.thewildones.org/Animals/panda.htmlmals/panda.htmlhttp://www.thewildones.org/Animals/panda.html =Range= == //**In south western China lies a landscape of towering mountain peaks, steep valleys and thick bamboo forests shrouded by mist and cloud. This is the home of the world's last giant pandas.**// http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/panda.html

=OFFSPRING=

Pandas are solitary animals, but during the breeding season males may come in contact with each other and compete for access to females. Breeding season is March to May with births in August or September. Litters can be twins or triplets, but usually only single cubs are raised. Panda cubs are tiny at birth, weighing only around 100 grams and are totally dependant upon their mother for the first several months of life. About 40-60 days after birth their eyes open and they begin to walk at about 3-4 months. They begin to eat bamboo at about 5-6 months and are weaned around 8-9 months. At about 18 months of age they leave their mother. Pandas are mature at about 6 years of age. In captivity pandas have lived to be over 30 years old.

=INTERESTING FACTS=

1. There are only about one thousand giant pandas left in western China. 2. The Chinese call the panda bear "Big Bear Cat." 3. Even at only one year of age, the giant panda is already climbing large trees. 4. Under the giant panda's white fur, their skin is black and under the white fur there is pink skin. 5. A panda climbs a tree by hugging the trunk and gripping on with its claws. 6. Scientific Name: Ailurus fulgens styani 7. The giant panda's teeth are approximately 7 times bigger than human's teeth. 8. Pandas can't go without food for 5-6 hours. 9. Giant Panda mommies are 900 times bigger than their newborn cubs. 10. Giant Pandas sit or lie down when they eat. http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0213521/interesting_facts.htm

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