Giant Pandas

Giant Pandas

If you want to learn about a very cool creature, with white and black all over, then I’d suggest you continue reading. Giant pandas live in Central China in forests in mountains. Giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in central China, in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. They once lived in lowland areas, but farming, forest clearing, and other development now restrict giant pandas to the mountains.

      Giant pandas mainly eat bamboo. Over 99% of the food they eat is bamboo. Bamboo is very tough to eat, but because they have sharp teeth they are able to eat it. Also, since they have five fingers, and a thumb, they can hold it better.

Scientists do not know a wild panda’s lifespan, but they are sure it is shorter than pandas in zoos. Pandas in zoos can live to 35 years old. Scientists think pandas in the wild live to 14 to 20 years old.

Pandas are black and white mammals and it looks like a bear. They have black spots on ears, eyes, legs, and shoulders. Pandas have thick coats that keep them warm in the winter. Even though most people think pandas are cute, they are very dangerous. On all fours pandas are 2 to 3 feet and weigh between 200 lb and 250 lb.

   Pandas can give birth once they are 4. After 95 to 160 days a young could be born. Even though a panda may give birth to 2 young, usually only 1 survives. Pandas are slow breeders so that is sort of why they are endangered. Babies stay with their mothers for 2 to 3 years and then they go off to the wild. When a panda cub is born, it weighs about 3 to 5 ounces and is about the size of a stick of butter. They are pink and blind. Their fur has not grown yet. Panda cubs only open their eyes when they are 6 to 8 weeks old. They are not mobile until they are 3 months old.

By: Jacob Bernstein and Daniel Zhou