Animals like panda. The giant panda is the mountain bear of Tibet. Description and photo of a giant panda. Behavior and character
The world became aware of the big and small panda only at the end of the nineteenth century, despite the fact that these are very ancient and rare animals. From the moment of discovery, the study of these interesting and unusual animals began. But after two centuries of constant research, a lot about these mammals still remains a mystery. Scientists can not come to a common opinion about the class of these animals. This problem is further exacerbated by the fact that these two species have many differences between them. So now you can hear a large number of discussions on the topic: “Is a panda a bear or a raccoon?”
Description of the big "bamboo bear"
This type of animal is usually attributed to the class of mammals, the order of predators, the raccoon family and the panda subfamily. But not so long ago, the Australian researcher E. Tennius conducted a series of analyzes of a morphological, cardiological, ethological and biochemical nature. According to the results, the scientist found that out of sixteen characteristics, five each, the big panda is a raccoon, and the remaining twelve are peculiar to her alone.
If we consider the appearance of this animal, then the giant panda is undoubtedly more like bears, because it is not without reason that it is also called the “bamboo bear”. She has a massive body, which is completely covered with thick fur. Its length varies from 1.1 to 1.9 meters, and its weight is from 75 to 140 kilograms. The thick and short legs of this animal end in massive paws with large claws.
If you look closely at the sole, you can see that on it and near each toe there are peculiar pads that serve the animal to hold smooth and slippery bamboo stems.
Unlike a bear, this beast has a tail, the length of which reaches 13 cm, and teeth with a different structure. On the premolars of the panda, you can see protrusions and tubercles that none of the other types of bears have, and its head is massive and blunt-faced, with large erect ears.
The description of the panda of this species says that it has a white color with black spots characteristic of it near the eyes, black legs and a tail of the same color. And although in appearance it resembles a bear, nevertheless, some features of its anatomy forced scientists to doubt it. In their opinion, the panda is a representative of the raccoon family, and some even identified it as a special class of mammals.
What does a small species of these interesting animals look like?
This variety, according to scientists, belongs to the raccoons, as it has the same tail with striped colors, a similar muzzle, as well as the shape of the skull and the structure of the teeth. Although its discoverers were inclined to believe that little panda- this is generally a cat with a fiery red color. This animal also has two subspecies - Western and Chinese.
This animal, unlike its large relatives, has a body, the length of which reaches a maximum of 67 cm, with a tail up to 47 cm and a weight not exceeding 6 kg. Therefore, if you answer the question: “Is a panda a bear or not?”, Then we can safely say that a small species of these animals with a red color refers more to raccoons, not bears.
Spreading
Giant pandas live in highlands in the heart of China. The regions of Sichuan and Tibet are considered their home. Their whole life takes place in forests where mainly bamboo grows, they are located at an altitude of 1500-4600 m above sea level. This area is fairly moderate. climatic conditions and all the seasons of the year are pronounced. In addition, these animals live in many centers and zoos, where they continue to be studied and researched. In captivity, their life expectancy reaches 27 years, and in the wild even shorter.
It lives in China, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. She lives, like her great relative, in a mountainous area at an altitude of 4800 m. This little animal inhabits the forests of the state of Assam, as well as the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan. This animal lives in another 86 zoos around the world.
Despite the fact that the large and small species differ significantly from each other in appearance and scientists believe that one panda is a bear, and the other is a raccoon, they lead the same lifestyle.
Behavior
These animals mostly live alone. The only exception can be considered mating season and the time of raising their children. Mature individuals live in an area of about five square meters, which is much smaller than that of bears. In order to indicate their presence, they can use tags with a specific smell.
Giant panda, unlike the small one, is active at any time of the day or night. Her red-haired relative leads night image life, and in the daytime sleeps in the crowns of trees, curled up in a ball and resting his head on his big striped tail.
Food
Numerous and dense thickets of bamboo are food for both the big and small panda. Thirty species of this plant make up approximately 99 percent of their diet. They also willingly eat all kinds of berries, fruits, seeds and acorns. Sometimes they can even hunt small birds, reptiles and rodents.
In captivity, they are fed the same bamboo, as well as biscuits and insect larvae. Panda is one of the few animals that can eat food in any position of its body and even lying down.
reproduction
Individuals of two species reach their sexual maturity closer to five years, and begin to mate only at seven. Females in their mating season, which ranges from two days to a week, make loud noises and actively emit a specific smell.
This is followed by pregnancy, which lasts for these animals an average of five months. Usually one or two naked cubs are born with a body weight of not more than 200 grams and a length of 14 to 16 cm, just like in brown bears. Although scientists have not yet come to an unambiguous conclusion about whether a panda is a bear or not, the breeding process of these two animals is similar.
Offspring
At birth, their cubs, like all varieties of bears, are helpless and blind. The female raises her little puppies herself and treats them very carefully and with special care. Within a few days after their birth, she does not leave the hole for a minute, even to eat or drink. The mother puts her cubs to her breast fifteen times a day, and one feeding can last about half an hour.
A panda most often has twins at birth, but after a while the female chooses the strongest baby from them and continues to take care of him, and the second, respectively, dies without supervision. The lactation period for these animals lasts approximately 45 weeks, and the cubs stay with their mothers until they reach the age of three.
It turns out that for the first time, when scientists conducted research on great view these animals, they could not understand for a long time, the panda is who, what kind of animal. A little later, they came to the conclusion that she is a raccoon, but only of huge size.
After some time, other experts refuted this opinion, since with the help of a genetic test it was possible to establish that this species of animals is more related to bears.
As for the red pandas, many scientists have generally recorded them as a marten-like species, which consists of both raccoons and skunks.
Although, according to most researchers, these two subspecies belong to different classes, nevertheless they also have a certain similarity with each other. For example, both pandas have a sixth "pseudo-toe" located on their front paws. It is significantly larger than the other five. In fact, this part of the body is a carpal bone covered with skin. This structure helps animals better hold bamboo plants.
conservation status
Unfortunately pandas are on the verge complete disappearance, therefore they are in the lists of the International Red Book. This happens for many reasons. The red living panda is not of such great interest to people as its fur. Because of this, she was constantly hunted, especially in Nepal. But in recent times the population of this species began to gradually recover.
Giant pandas are also protected by law, according to which, the extermination of this animal will be punishable by death or life term in prison.
Although this animal was discovered several centuries ago, and in 1912 it even became the national treasure of the PRC (according to the legislation of this Republic), scientists still cannot come to an unambiguous conclusion about whether a panda is a bear or a raccoon. Therefore, research on this animal continues to this day.
In your opinion, what animal is the most harmless and cute? As for me, so panda. You look at them and want to immediately hug and caress. They are like little children, they want to play and have fun with them. When I saw this animal for the first time, I fell in love with it forever.
Giant panda
Although the panda belongs to the bear family, the appearance and behavior of this animal seems to deny this. Panda has an interesting black and white color. The body is covered with thick white fur, black circles around the eyes, ears and paws are also painted black. The panda has many differences from other bears, one of them is a long tail, about 15 cm. The main product in the panda's diet is bamboo. An adult can consume about 30 kg per day. But like all bears, the panda is a predatory animal, and the diet also contains foods such as:
- eggs;
- small animals and birds;
- insects.
Pandas resort to such food in case of a lack of protein in the body.
panda habitat
The homeland and the only place on the planet where animals are in the wild is located in the mountainous regions of China, in Tibet and Sichuan. Pandas can also be found in zoos in Europe, the USA, Japan and China. In zoos, these animals are a highlight, people pay big money to pet them and take pictures with them. And zookeepers compete for the right to be their observers. Interestingly, the giant panda is the only panda species that belongs to the bear family and not the panda family!
These animals can also roll down hills, curled up into a ball. Many people think that these are games, but they are not! In the wild, animals similarly protect themselves from predators by escaping from them. Although we consider the panda to be a friendly animal, it is worth remembering that it is primarily a predator. In Beijing Zhang Zoo, at least three cases of attacks by these animals have been recorded, of course, through the fault of a person! But the fact remains.
I, like many women, sometimes look like a panda when I remove makeup from my eyes. And here's what a panda would look like if you could remove the black circles around its eyes.
Funny and still cute!
The panda or bamboo bear is one of the cutest and funniest animals in the world. Despite the fact that the panda is a bear, it is not predatory beast, but just a peaceful herbivore that feeds on bamboo shoots.
There are two types of pandas: the large or black and white panda, and the small or red panda. red panda in different countries also called fire cat or cat-bear.
The giant panda grows up to 150 kilograms, the red panda is slightly larger than a cat.
Description and lifestyle of a panda
Pandas are loved, perhaps, by almost everyone, and all thanks to their funny appearance and funny bear clumsiness. The habits of these amazing ones make both children and adults smile. Now only 45 bamboo bears lives in zoos outside of China. The first panda was taken out of China in 1937. In China itself, panda cubs located in nature reserves, upon reaching a certain age, are released into the wild, into their natural habitat. Pandas played an important role in establishing friendly, open relations between China and China. Western countries. Currently, there are two types of pandas: large and small - red.
One of the rarest animals on Earth is the giant panda, it is classified as an endangered species. The fur of the giant panda is very thick, black and white. There are black spots around the eyes. The size of the giant panda is impressive: the weight can reach 160 kg, and the body length is up to one and a half meters. They have sharp claws on their hind feet, and a sixth toe on their front feet, in addition to the five main ones, which developed from the need to hold on to bamboo.
Giant pandas are able to stand on their hind legs, but they always move with the help of four limbs; they are not able to run both fast and long at the same time, as they get tired quickly. Being excellent climbers, they are often located on the lower branches in order to hide from danger or rest. The habits of pandas are clumsy and somewhat slow.
Where does it live and what does it eat?
The free habitats of the giant panda are located in the mountains of the South and Central districts China, at an altitude of about 2000-3500 meters, because bamboo grows there - what pandas eat most often. In general, the habitat area of these animals is approximately 30 thousand kilometers. In the forests, each individual marks some trees with special odorous glands, thereby defining its own territory. Giant pandas love privacy, but sometimes their territories overlap. These are nocturnal animals, during the day they mainly rest.
Giant pandas feed mainly on bamboo stems and shoots, although they will not refuse meat food, as well as mushrooms, roots, tubers, and bark; sometimes they eat honey. Almost all the time of wakefulness, which is 15-16 hours, the panda absorbs food.
The breeding season for pandas is spring, from March to May. There are 4-5 times more males than females, so there are several males for each female. Pregnancy lasts 100-150 days, after this period, one or two cubs are born in the panda. Often the female feeds only one of them, because care requires a lot of effort from her. The rest of the panda cubs often die. Cubs are born blind and tiny. Their size is only 1 thousandth of the size of the mother. Like all mammals, they are nursed by their mother for a period of one and a half to three years.
For most of the first three weeks, the female holds the newborn in her arms and feeds it. Panda cubs grow quickly and start walking at the age of three months. After another two months, they switch to eating bamboo. After a year and a half, pandas grow up and begin, so to speak, an independent life. Sexual maturity is reached by 4-5 years.
On the this moment The protection of pandas is one of the important issues. For relatively a short time The giant panda population has drastically declined. This happened, first of all, as a result of deforestation - their habitat, and also because of the hunting of these animals. Since the second half of the twentieth century, the Chinese government has been taking decisive measures to protect pandas; more than 30 reserves have been created in half a century. Despite the sad forecasts, there is a chance that the panda population will survive.
Red or lesser panda
A few words should be said about red red pandas. These are small animals, the size of pandas is slightly larger than an ordinary cat. The fur of red red pandas is red on the back and brown on the abdomen and paws. There are white spots on the muzzle. Red pandas eat mostly plant foods.
January is the breeding season for pandas. The cub is born 90-140 days after conception. The female takes care of the baby; the male, as a rule, does not take part in this. Pandas grow slowly: only on the 18th day do their eyes open, and they reach sexual maturity only by 18 months.
Red pandas, like the big ones, are an endangered species. Animals are endangered by poachers and deforestation. Conservation of red pandas is an important element in the protection environment. Fortunately, Red Red Pandas breed quite well in reserves.
It is the duty of every person to preserve and protect nature. Only the fight against poaching and the reduction of deforestation to a possible minimum will help save the population of giant and lesser pandas.
The giant panda's habitat includes the mountainous regions of the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau, western central China, and southwestern China. The giant panda lives mainly in the Sichuan province. There are also small populations of this animal in the provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu. Prior to the start of active development of land for the needs Agriculture and deforestation, the giant panda lived in many low-lying areas of China's interior.
Giant pandas live in mountainous areas covered with bamboo forests where it often rains. The height of these places is from 1200 to 3100 meters above sea level. For one adult pair of pandas, about 3 thousand hectares of bamboo forest are needed for a normal existence.
The giant panda's habitat has been significantly reduced due to the expansion of land converted to farmland and deforestation. Deforestation stopped after 1998. Chinese government the corresponding law was passed. There are currently 50 sanctuaries in China to protect the remaining giant panda population. total area which is more than 1 million hectares. The deterioration of the panda's habitat is also affected by the division of areas of its habitat due to economic activity person. Pandas run out of food if the bamboo in their particular territory did not grow well enough in a certain year.
Protecting the giant panda's habitat indirectly helps protect entire ecosystems from destruction. In particular, thanks to measures to protect the range of the panda, the quality of water is improving in the area of \u200b\u200bthe source of China's largest and most important river, the Yangtze. Ecotourism in these protected areas provides additional income for people living in these poor mountainous areas. Tourists, in turn, have the opportunity to see wild pandas in their natural habitat. This strictly controlled type of tourism has a minimal impact on the environment.
In Chengdu, there are many opportunities to buy something original: Chinese or Tibetan style souvenirs, brocade or embroidery, antiques or works of art. The giant panda is increasingly used as a symbol of China. This very cute and cute animal is not found in conditions wildlife nowhere else in the world. Most the best place in the world in order to observe the giant panda - the Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center in Chengdu City.
Giant panda, or bei-shung, which in Chinese means " polar bear”, is a very ancient and rare animal. At home, in China, the panda is so revered that since the second half of the 20th century it has become national symbol Great Celestial Empire (that is, China). There, for the murder of this animal, a person faces the death penalty.
To which family of animals this funny animal was not assigned - and to bears and raccoons. By the way, until recently they were attributed just to the latter, but as a result various tests, including genetic ones, it has been proven that the giant panda is more related to clumsy bears than with raccoons.
West academia I learned about the existence of the giant panda quite late - only in 1869, while in Chinese literature the first mention of these animals is found as early as 3000 years ago (in the Book of History and the Book of Songs).
Range and habitat
The territory inhabited by pandas is small. They are found in the mountainous regions of the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Tibet. Although earlier they also lived in Indochina and on about. Kalimantan. Giant pandas chose dense bamboo forests as their home.
Giant panda habitat 
bamboo forests They live in mountainous regions, at an altitude of about 1200 to 4500 meters above sea level. m.. With the onset of winter, they descend to a height of about 800 meters at sea level, where the climate is cold period year is more favorable.
These good-natured "teddy" bears
Dimensions adult panda pretty impressive. Males are slightly larger than females. Their weight reaches 85-125 kg, while females weigh 70-100 kg. The body length of a panda is 1.5-1.8 m.
The panda, unlike other bears, has a fairly long tail. Its length reaches 12 cm. The whole body is covered with thick and soft fur. On a light, almost white background, dark areas are located: around the eyes in the form of "glasses", on the hind and front legs, on the shoulders and on the ears. The tip of the tail is also black.
Black ears, "glasses" and paws Despite its good-natured "plush" appearance, the panda's paws are armed with sharp claws, and like all bears, the giant panda can seriously injure a person in cases of attack.
big tail Food
Its second name - "bamboo bear" - the giant panda received due to its diet, which consists of 99% of bamboo shoots and stems. But animal food, such as eggs and insects, periodically appear on the panda's menu. These foods are the main source of protein. In addition to bamboo, bears will not refuse saffron and iris bulbs. In zoos, they are pampered with sugar cane, apples, carrots, liquid rice porridge and other products.
To get enough of such low-nutrient food, pandas have to eat up to 18 kg of bamboo per day. For the same reason, they are very slow and try to move only as needed. Pandas go on the road only if the food supply in this area is already coming to an end.
With his food, this bear is controlled with extraordinary dexterity. Sometimes you wonder how such thick paws can handle thin bamboo stems so masterfully. A kind of sixth “finger”, which is a modified wrist bone, helps him to hold the stalk.
They drink paeda a little, because most moisture is obtained along with succulent bamboo shoots, which is almost half water. But whenever possible, they still try to quench their thirst in a small river or other body of water.
Lifestyle
Giant pandas are good dart frogs, but prefer to lead a terrestrial lifestyle. They also swim well. Activity is shown at any time of the day. It takes up to 12 hours a day to search for and chew food.
AT winter time, for a short period they can fall into a state resembling hibernation, but this cannot be called a real bear hibernation.
Each individual, whether female or male, has its own territory, which is tirelessly guarded, especially by females.
Playing pandas 
Giant pandas prefer to live alone and unite in pairs only for the period of mating and raising offspring.
They communicate with each other using various sounds, although at first glance it seems that these are rather silent animals. The friendly greeting of the "comrade" is expressed in a kind of bleating, irritation - in a roar or booming buzz. The cubs, in order to attract the mother, begin to whimper and squeal. The display of teeth during the rapid opening and closing of the teeth means that it is better not to approach the panda, as it expresses displeasure and threat.
reproduction
Giant pandas give birth to 1-2 cubs. If two are born, then often in vivo habitat, the female chooses only one, stronger baby, and begins to care for him. The second one dies. Zoos have developed their own tactics for this case.
Female with cub 
A week old The workers take away the "refusenik", and then after a couple of days they change places of the cubs. And such a substitution continues throughout the entire period of feeding. Thus, zoo workers manage to raise 2 cubs. Indeed, in the world of these animals, there are VERY LITTLE left - no more than 1600 individuals.
The breeding season begins in the spring. After mating, the development of the embryo may not begin immediately, but after certain time- 1.5-4 months. This feature is a kind defense mechanism for cubs, because they can be born in the most favorable climatic period. Average duration pregnancy is approximately 135 days.
Newborn babies are blind and helpless. After giving birth, the mother helps the baby find the nipple. The first few days the female does not leave the baby for a minute. At 47 weeks, milk feeding stops, and the cubs begin to switch to adult food. Up to 1.5 years they are with their mother, who takes part in their games with pleasure.
5 month old baby giant panda Puberty in bamboo bears occurs by 5-7 years. Life expectancy in captivity is quite long - up to 26 years, while in nature they live only up to 14-16 years.
cubs panda and man
Due to their extreme scarcity, giant pandas are not only listed in the IUCN Red List, but are also protected by all kinds of strict laws (especially in China).
Pandas used to be exterminated because of their valuable fur, but now it is not worth thinking about it. In nature natural enemies they have few - only leopards and red wolves, but they are already rare in those parts. The main reason for the gradual decline in their numbers is the disappearance natural environment habitat, i.e. bamboo groves and forests. This happens either due to human intervention or natural causes.
Bamboo grows for about 20-25 years, after flowering and the appearance of seeds, it dies off. Thus, entire forests “die out” at once. New shoots from seeds will begin to appear only after 2-3 years. Therefore, for many animals that are completely dependent on bamboo, such periods are disastrous.
The giant panda is very popular. She is the main character of various animated films, depicted on emblems and symbols. various organization, a prime example which is World Foundation wildlife (WWF).