The giant panda, belonging to the family Ursidae of class Mammalia, is the only extant species in the bear subfamily Ailuropodinae.They are taxonomically classified as a bear and have been placed under the order Carnivora. On average, pandas measure between 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) in height and reach about 4-6 ft (1.2-1.9 m) in length while standing on all fours.Although studies on the panda’s anatomy have placed it under the order Carnivora, their typical feeding habits speak for themselves. Only occasionally does a panda feed on small insects and fish, accounting for only about 1% of their diet. They would mostly consume a herbivorous diet, having a natural affinity for bamboo and bamboo shoots. The giant panda is also very fond of good-quality leaves. Additionally, pandas also drink water from any nearby waterbody at least once a day. Panda bears have an extra thumb-like sixth digit which acts as a pseudo thumb and helps them to grip food and objects with ease. In the wild, the little remaining giant panda populations are localized in the mountainous, dense bamboo forests of central China.Keep reading to discover more fun facts about pandas! If you like this article don’t forget to check out what is the cutest animal in the world and what do animals need to survive to learn interesting facts about them.Funny Things Pandas Do For FunPanda cubs resemble the size of a stick of butter when they are born and are practically furless. The cubs are born pink in color and have underdeveloped eyes at birth. The iconic black and white coat color is acquired around the three-week mark.Giant panda cubs are at least 900 times smaller than their counterpart adults, weighing only about 3.5 oz (100 g). Therefore, they start their lives out as altricial beings and are very attached to their mothers. The tiny cubs make their presence known with their amusing antics. Panda mothers do not have it easy when the cubs are young and mischievous. Almost always will the cubs frustrate the mother by pulling up from behind, poking her, and even using her body for climbing practice. In fact, a typical giant panda cub would learn to climb trees by seven months of age. A panda cub is both curious and clumsy and they can often be seen tumbling, taking a fall, and rolling on their backs. These are typical behaviors that pandas carry into their adulthood and it isn’t unusual to see a fully grown panda rolling down a slope for some fun.Panda cubs are ready to set out in search of their own territory by the time they are 18 months old but usually choose to stick with their mother for a longer period, until reaching about two-three years of age. Pandas are ridiculously laidback and love their naps. On average, the giant panda sleeps for about 10 hours every day in several intervals. They can sleep in any and every position as long as their sleep isn’t disturbed. Giant pandas are often seen suspended on a tree or curled up like a cushion on the forest floor. Every napping session lasts for about three-four hours and in their waking hours, pandas eat bamboo.Giant pandas constitute a core part of Chinese cultural history but, are equally adored all across the world because of their cute appearance and mischievous attitude. The big droopy eye patches and fluffy cheeks of a giant panda are reminiscent of human infants. A pink-tinted skin remains concealed under the white-coated areas of the panda’s fur and the skin is black under areas where the fur color is black. The black and white markings may appear to be uniform across the species but the truth is that the patterns are versatile and each panda owns a distinct variation. Despite their size, pandas have tiny tails which make them even more adorable.Dangerous Things Pandas Do For FunThe giant panda has a bulky frame and adult males on average measure between 4-6.2 ft (1.2-1.9 m) in length. The adult female pandas differ marginally in size and weight when compared with adult males, with the former being slightly smaller and weighing about 154-275.5 lb (70-125 kg). The male pandas, on average, weigh between 220-352.7 lb (100-160 kg). In spite of their large bulky bodies, pandas have mastered the art of escaping. The giant pandas are exceptionally light-footed around trees which makes them skillful climbers. Moreover, they can evade threats by curling up into a round ball and rolling down the hill. Otherwise, pandas lead a very leisurely and uneventful life.Aggression, which mostly remains dormant among pandas, can be observed when two pandas cross paths during the mating season. Pandas usually have a placid temperament. In fact, they are extremely shy around humans. Usually, these cat-footed bears try to avoid human company but given a scenario where they encounter one, the panda will try to look away and cover its face. It is hilarious to see pandas trotting about with their toddler-like wobbly bodies. These animals walk on all fours because their unusually thick bones add more weight to their naturally bulky frame. Even though they are able to, it is not comfortable for a panda to stand upright on the support of its short hind legs.Giant pandas are known to engage in periodical verbal communication. The vocalizations they make range from a bleating sound to squeaking or huffing calls. If two pandas cross paths during mating season, they could make a growling sound to assert dominance. However, pandas are mostly solitary and scent marking is their preferred mode of communication. They use their brush-like tails to diffuse the scent of their excretion. For their size, pandas are very acrobatic and can be seen in a handstand posture while scent-marking trees. They look even more adorable while performing somersaults.Similar to other bears, giant pandas have big jaws and a very strong bite force. For a panda, the strong jaw muscles come useful in crushing tough bamboo. However, these are the same muscles that make their cheeks appear soft and chubby.Giant pandas reach sexual maturity when they are five and a half to six and a half years of age. Males and females are quite evenly matched on the toughness scale but, panda mothers are remarkably tougher. Since panda cubs are born blind, the mother nurtures them with extreme care, placing the little ones even above food and water in her list of priorities. Beware of any panda mother raising her young because she will burst out in a fit of fierce rage and may even attack in order to protect her tiny cub.Cool Things Pandas Do For FunGiant pandas are known to have a thumb-like extra digit that acts as a ‘pseudo thumb’ and helps them to grip bamboo stems. These gentle giants have insatiable appetites and dedicate about 12-16 hours every day to munch their way through 26-83.7 lb (12-38 kg) of delicious bamboo. This relentless bamboo eating does take a toll on the panda’s digestive system and they can poop an average of 62lb (28kg) every day. With so much food in their tummies, pandas do need the time to relax. In fact, pandas have a supernatural ability to take time out for sleep whenever they aren’t eating and get a nap between their feeding sessions every two to four hours. Even though the giant panda’s favorite snack is bamboo shoots, they are equally fond of good-quality leaves. Since altitude is not a problem, pandas climb trees and take occasional falls in order to fetch the best quality leaves.On average, wild pandas’ lifespan ranges between 14-20 years whereas, in breeding centers or a zoo, pandas can survive up to 30 years of age. Of the 500 captive pandas around the globe, most are involved in breeding programs contributing to the restoration of the giant panda population. However, pandas do not fare as well in captivity as they do in the wild. To begin with, the breeding programs have a lower success rate. Although the results have significantly improved, artificial insemination has other negative consequences, one of them being the increased possibility for pandas to conceive two cubs at a time. This poses a serious problem as pandas usually rear only one cub at a time and abandon the second.Historically, the Chinese considered the panda as a symbol of peace. In fact, by giving two giant pandas as a present to President Richard Nixon, a diplomatic relationship was established between China and the USA. Both the pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, were taken in by the National Zoo in the USA where they resided until their death in 1992 and 1999, respectively. Even today, the World Wildlife Fund has the face of a panda as its logo. These make pandas the ideal representatives of conservation.Clever Things Pandas Do For FunAn interesting fact is that giant pandas are actually lean under their fur, which makes them confident swimmers. The giant panda’s relationship with the red panda was resolved as a case of separate lineage where the giant panda was classified as a bear and the red panda’s taxonomic classification placed it under the raccoon family. It is believed that giant pandas voluntarily switched to a herbivorous diet as an evolutionary strategy to reduce competition. Since they have retained a carnivorous digestive system, pandas eat fibrous mouthfuls of different protein-rich varieties of bamboos to meet their nutrient requirement. Even though pandas eat bamboos around the clock, 1% of their diet still remains carnivorous.The giant panda has a contrasting black and white color coat that is estimated to help in camouflage, enabling the creature to blend with its surrounding bamboo forests. But the truth is, there’s no unanimous agreement and the actual purpose of the panda fur color is still not known. What is known is that these animals are extensively poached for their fur which is worth millions of dollars in the illegal trade market.With a total of 1864 surviving members in the wild, giant pandas have long been listed as a threatened species. However, threats to these majestic animals are almost exclusively man-made where human activities such as forest clearing and poaching are the primary cause of their dwindling numbers in the wild. Development has destroyed most landscape patterns of the panda’s native habitat. In addition, illegal trading adds more dimensions to the problem. Since these animals are solitary by nature, natural habitat destruction leaves the giant pandas even more isolated and agitated with panic and fear. As a result, interactions between opposite sexes have significantly decreased and population recovery in the wild is becoming increasingly difficult.However, as an upside, the giant panda hasn’t been categorized as an endangered species anymore as the IUCN currently lists its conservation status as Vulnerable. Moreover, the Chinese government is trying to gain an effective foothold in restoring the giant panda population and in that view, has drafted new laws as well as increased the range of reserved areas in order to legally protect the panda habitats.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for what do pandas do for fun then, why not take a look at what is the slowest animal in the world or what is the smallest animal in the world?
The giant panda, belonging to the family Ursidae of class Mammalia, is the only extant species in the bear subfamily Ailuropodinae.
