Olivia8A GeographyEndangered species

The Giant PandaScientific name- Ailuropoda Melanoleuca

Did you know? There are approximately 1,000 -1,500 Giant Pandas living in

china and there are approximately 120 living in zoo’s around the world

Not very many at all!

General description Giant pandas are mammals. They are white with black

patches found around the eyes, ear, shoulders, chest, legs and feet and they have cat like eyes. Giant pandas have unusual paws because they have five finger and one thumb. Female pandas weight approx 80kg and measure approx 1.8 metres from nose to tail. Males pandas weight approx 100kg and measure 1.8 metres from it nose to tail. Giant Pandas have very thick oily fur to keep them warm and it is water proof. They have 42 teeth which are made up of molars and sharp teeth which help them to crush through bamboo.

The Giant Panda lives in cool, wet, cloudy mountain forest land where bamboo grow. Farming development has pushed pandas high into the mountains to get their food. Giant pandas live in a few mountain rangers in central and western China. They live mainly in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces.

HABITATE

WHY ARE THEY ENDANGERED

Giant Pandas are an endangered species because of three main reasons.

1. farming and development is destroying their habitats. 2. poachers hunt Giant Pandas for their fur which they sell. 3. Leopards kill cubs so they are not able to survive to become adults.

There are approx 1,000 – 1,500 Giant Pandas living in China and there are approx 120 living in zoos around the world.

There is no evidence on how long Giant Pandas live in the wild but in zoos some pandas have lived to 35 years.

REPRODUCTION Giant Pandas reproductive rate is very slow and this

contributes to their low numbers and being endangered.

Male and female Giant Pandas mate in spring and females give birth 95 to 165 days after mating.

They place their cubs in dens that they dig in the ground and although they can have up to two cubs usually only one survives. If they don’t get killed by predators by four years old they are fully grown.

GIANT PANDAS ARE SHY, SOLITARY ANIMALS. THEY ARE MOSTLY SILENT AND THEY DON’T ROAR

LIKE OTHER BEARS. THERE IS ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF THESE

BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS IN EXISTENCE TODAY. WE ALL NEED TO REALISE THAT BAMBOO

FARMING NEEDS TO STOP AS THIS IS THE GIANT PANDAS FOOD SUPPLY.

BIBLIOGRAPHY INFORMATION http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/

panda/ http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/classify/712/0 PICTURES kids.poisson.org.uk www.zmescience.com http://members.enchantedlearning.com/books/animals/p

anda/2.shtml