Kingdom - Species classification: Kingdom: Animalia (Animal, multicellular organism that is a heterotroph)
Phylum: Chordata (Has dorsal, hollow nerve cord) Class: Mammalia (Mammal, feed young with milk from mammary glands) Order: Carnivora (Have large canine teeth, shearing molars, and well developed claws) Family: Ursidae (Bear, large mammal) Genus: Ailuropoda (The Giant Panda) Species: A. melanoleuca (Black and White Cat-foot) (From: http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2007/barger_rach/ ) |
General InformationSize :
Giant Pandas are About the size of an American black bear, giant pandas stand between two and three feet tall at the shoulder (on all four legs), and reach four to six feet long. Males are larger than females, weighing up to 250 pounds in the wild. Females rarely reach 220 pounds. Physical Description:
The giant panda, a black-and-white bear, has a body typical of bears. It has black fur on ears, eye patches, muzzle, legs, and shoulders. The rest of the animal's coat is white. The panda's thick, wooly coat keeps it warm in the cool forests of its habitat. Giant pandas have large molar teeth and strong jaw muscles for crushing tough bamboo. Life Span & Status:
Scientists aren't sure how long giant pandas live in the wild, but they are sure it's shorter than lifespans in zoos. Chinese scientists have reported zoo pandas as old as 35. The giant panda is listed as endangered in the World Conservation Union's (IUCN's) Red List of Threatened Species. There are about 1,600 left in the wild. Lifestyle & Eating/ Feeding Adaptation:
A wild panda spends much of its day resting, feeding, and seeking food. Unlike other bears from temperate climates, giant pandas do not hibernate. A wild giant panda’s diet is almost exclusively (99 percent) bamboo. The balance consists of other grasses and occasional small rodents or musk deer fawns. A panda usually eats while sitting upright, in a pose that resembles how humans sit on the floor. This posture leaves the front paws free to grasp bamboo stems with the help of a "pseudo thumb," formed by an elongated and enlarged wrist bone covered with a fleshy pad of skin. |