The first pandas
The giant panda itself appeared suddenly during the late Pliocene or early
Pleistocene, perhaps no more than two to three million years ago. Panda
fossils have been found in Burma, Vietnam, and particularly in early in
eastern China, as far north as Beijing.
In the second century AD the giant panda was a rare and semi-divine animals
inside China. In the Han dynasty (206 BC-AC 24) the emperor's garden in
the
then capital Xian held nearly 40 rare animal specials, of which the panda
was the most highly treasured, and the poet Bai Juyi (AD 772-846) credited
the panda with the power to prevent disease and exorcise evil spirits. Panda
skins appear scattered throughout the Chinese imperial records, as gifts
or
tribute on great occasions of states. But the animal was totally unknown
outside the secretive "Middle Kingdom" until the declining Qing
Dynasty was
slowly forced to open its doors to trade and Christianity towards the end
of
the nineteenth century.
Giant Panda Bear
The range of the Panda Bear
Many scientists classify the Giant Panda as a raccoon, rather than a bear.
The Panda's forepaw is different from the other bears. It has an elongated
wrist bone that provides a sixth finger, giving the Panda the ability to
grasp bamboo stems, its main food. The Panda's natural habitat is in the
grasp bamboo stems, its main food. The Panda's natural habitat is in the
mountains of central China where the bamboo is plentiful. The Panda
eats huge amounts of bamboo and spends 50 to 75 percent of its day
feeding. Pandas stay on the ground most of the time, but climb trees for
shelter or to hide from enemies.
The male leaves his territory to find a mate and courts her by whining and
barking. The female gives birth a tiny cub, weighing less than one-half
pound. The cub grows quickly and by the time it is 8 weeks old it weighs
20
times what it did at birth. Pandas are large and heavy, with a huge head
and
big legs. It has a thick, woolly black and white coat, with a brownish tinge
sometimes on its back.
Giant panda
(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
The giant panda is also known as the panda bear, bamboo bear, or in Chinese
as Daxiongmao, the "large bear cat." In fact, its scientific name
means "black and white cat-footed animal."
Giant pandas live in dense bamboo and coniferous forests at altitudes of
5,000 to 10,000 feet. The mountains are shrouded in heavy clouds with torrential
rains or dense mist throughout the year.
Giant pandas have existed since the Pleistocene Era (about 600,000 years
ago), when their geographic range extended throughout southern China. Fossil
remains also have been found in present-day Burma.
Giant pandas are bear-like in shape with striking black and white markings.The
ears, eye patches, legs, and shoulder band are black; the rest of thebody
is whitish. They have a thick, woolly coat to insulate them from the cold.
Adults are 4 to 6 feet long and may weigh up to 350 pounds, about the same
size as the American black bear. However, unlike the black bear,giant pandas
do not hibernate and cannot walk on their hind legs.
Giant pandas are among the rarest mammals in the world -- there are probably
fewer than 1,000 left in the wild. Although adult giant pandas have few
natural enemies, the young are sometimes preyed upon by leopards.
The panda's habitat is danger because of the distrucation of the forest.
China's rising population makes the need need for more land. The chinese
goverment has 11 national parks set for the panda bear.
Giant pandas are victums of poaching, or illegal killing, as their
dense fur carries a high price in illegal markets in the Far East. The
Chinese government has imposed life sentences for those convicted of
poaching giant pandas.
The low reproductive capacity of the giant panda makes it more vulnerable
to these threats, and less capable of rebounding from its low numbers.
In 1984, due to its dwindling numbers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
listed the giant panda as an endangered species under the Endangered Species
Act. This means it is considered in danger of extinction throughout all
or a significant portion of its range. This protection also prohibits giant
pandas from being imported into the U.S. except under certain conditions.
Web page by: Nicole Fitzgerald