GIANT PANDAS

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*DIET*HABITAT*APPERANCE*LIFE CYCLE*CHARACTERISTICS*WARNING *WEB

DIET

• About 99% of the Giant Panda's food is bamboo, though it also eats grass, roots, plants and even meat. Bamboo is actually a type of grass that grows as tall as trees. Although there are hundreds of kinds of bamboo, the Giant Panda eats only 4 or 5 kinds. It is estimated that a Giant Panda can chew more than 3,500 stalks of bamboo a day. Bamboo is not very nutritious, so the Giant Panda spends about 12 hours a day feeding.

HABITAT

• Giant Pandas live in bamboo forests in the mountains of western China. The forests are very thick and the pandas are generally hidden from view, so it has been hard for scientists to learn about them. This lack of knowledge has added to the difficulty of saving these animals. Once pandas were widespread throughout China, but the bamboo forests in eastern China have been cut down for farming. This has made the forest areas into 'islands', making it impossible for the bears to roam widely and meet each other to mate.

APPEARANCE• They are black and white animals with round

heads, small black ears and white faces. They have black patches around each eye. They have short tails. They walk on all fours and can climb trees, often doing so to find a place to sleep.An adult Giant Panda is about 150 centimeters long and weighs about 90 kilograms, although the biggest one ever weighed 180 kilograms.

LIFE CYCLEBaby pandas are very small when they are born.They only weigh about 120 grams. The mother holds the new baby in a similar way to a human, cradling the baby in her arms. The baby panda's eyes open after about 40 days. At one month old

the black markings can be seen on their pink skin.

LIFE CYCLE continued.At three months old the young pandas are furry, black and

white miniatures of their parents. They crawl when they are about 3-4 months old. At 7 months, a young panda weighs about 9 kilograms, runs and climbs trees, and has started eating bamboo. At about 18 months, it weighs about 55 kilograms, and will soon live its mother.

CHARACTERISTICS• Male Panda Bears on average measure between

between 5 feet and 6 feet long (nose to end of tail). Females are about 20 percent smaller than males. Giant pandas have a very heavy fur coat consisting of a long coarse outer layer and an under layer which is dense and wooly. Like polar bears, their fur is very oily to repel water and protect them from the cool damp climate. Their torso and disproportionately large head are both white. They have black rounded ears, black eye patches, a black band across their shoulders, and black legs. Their front paws have extended wrist bones which are flexible and can be used like a thumbs. This allows the bears to more skillfully handle their food such as bamboo stems.

WARNING GIANT PANDAS ARE ENDAGRED

BECAUSE WE ARE RUINING THERE HABITAT.

HELP GIANT PANDA BEARS!!

WEBS

• http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/PandaFacts/default.cfm

• http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/giant-panda.html

THE END

Created by Tully & Olympia

Note: We got our information from kidcyber!!!!!!!!