Animals like panda name. Description of a large “bamboo bear”. Big panda. Animal listed in the Red Book

Previously it was also called spotted bear (Ailuropus melanoleucus). There are known cases of giant pandas attacking humans.

Big panda
Big panda
Scientific classification
International scientific name
Ailuropoda melanoleuca David
Synonyms
Subspecies
Area
Security status
Taxonomy on Wikispecies Images on Wikimedia Commons ITIS NCBI EOL

One week old panda cub

In the suborder Canidae there is a family of pandas (Ailuridae), which does not include the giant panda.

Appearance

The length of the giant panda reaches 1.2-1.8 m and has a mass of 17-160 kg. Males are larger than females in size (by 10%) and in weight (by 20%). Unlike other bears, it has quite a long tail(10-15 cm). The body is massive, covered with thick white fur with black spots around the eyes, black ears and black paws. The short, thick hind legs have sharp claws. On the soles and at the base of each toe, bare pads are well developed, making it easier to hold the smooth bamboo stems.

Giant pandas have unusual front paws - with a "thumb" and five regular toes; " thumb", which is actually a modified sesamoid bone of the wrist, allows you to deftly handle even thin bamboo shoots. Biologist Stephen Jay Gould devoted his article “The Panda’s Thumb” to the origin of this “sixth finger,” which became the title of a collection of his works on evolution.

It is noteworthy that the red panda also has a similar anatomical feature, despite the fact that this species in evolutionary terms is quite far from big panda and belongs to a different family. Scientists from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with the assistance of colleagues from the British, conducted a study and came to the conclusion that although the giant and red pandas have a distant common ancestor who lived over 40 million years ago, they did not inherit the “sixth finger” from him, but appeared much later. Each of the two species, independently of the other, acquired this addition in the course of convergent evolution: the bamboo diet and the need to hold bamboo stems, apparently, became, according to the researchers, the reasons for which genetic changes were fixed, reflected in the general anatomical features of the small and large pandas

Lifestyle

Despite the fact that pandas belong to the order of carnivores, they actually eat only bamboo, only occasionally including plants of other species in their diet. An adult panda eats up to 30 kg of bamboo and shoots per day. To protect against bamboo slivers, the esophagus and stomach are lined with a thick layer of elastic mucous tissue. To feed pandas, the zoo has created a special “cookie” made from pressed bamboo fibers. Strictly speaking, like many animals, pandas are omnivores. Pandas are also known to eat eggs, small birds, small animals and some insects on occasion, as well as carrion along with their bamboo diet. Animal food for pandas is necessary source squirrel . If in any place all the bamboo dies after flowering, then the pandas living there are in danger of dying from starvation (similar cases were noted in 1975 and 1983). According to scientists, the hyperdependence of bears on bamboo could have developed relatively recently - about 5,000 years ago.

The range of males is wider than that of females, which select high-altitude forests on steep slopes that provide better shelter for giving birth in bamboo thickets. In summer, pandas climb to heights of up to 4,000 meters to avoid high temperature.

The panda is active throughout the year and does not hibernate in winter.

Taxonomy

For many years, the exact taxonomic classification of pandas has been the subject of debate among scientists - both giant and red pandas have characteristics of both bears and raccoons. IN late XIX centuries, scientists examined four giant panda skins and decided that the giant panda is an ancient representative of bears, almost an ancestor modern bears. In 1936 American specialist By comparative anatomy animals, Professor William Gregory, after a thorough analysis, found in the giant panda many anatomical features characteristic of American raccoons, and came to the conclusion that the giant panda is a giant raccoon. Finally, genetic tests have proven that the giant panda is in fact a bear, and its closest relative is the spectacled bear living in South America. The red panda forms its own panda family (Ailuridae), which, together with the families of raccoons, skunks and mustelids, forms the superfamily Musteloidea.

Classification

There are 2 subspecies:

• A. m. melanoleuca found in Sichuan province and has a typical black and white coloration.
• A. m. qinlingensis Wan, Wu & Fang, 2005. The range is limited to the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province. It lives at altitudes of 1300-3000 m above sea level. It differs from the nominate subspecies in its smaller size, brown and light brown color (instead of black in the nominate subspecies) of the dark areas of the body. The population was identified in the 1960s, but was not described as an independent subspecies until 2005.

Security

The giant panda first became known in the West in 1869 thanks to the French missionary Armand David. Giant pandas soon became a public favorite due to their resemblance to teddy bears. Also my contribution to the created innocent appearance of the living soft toy contributed by the fact that pandas are practically vegetarians and eat mainly bamboo.

The leasing of giant pandas by zoos in the US and Japan was an important part of Chinese diplomacy in the 1970s and was one of the first cultural exchange between China and the West. However, the first case of a panda being given for diplomatic purposes dates back to the Tang Dynasty, when Empress Wu Zetian gave a pair of pandas to the Japanese monarch.

However, starting in 1984, pandas were no longer given as gifts for diplomatic purposes. Instead, China is offering pandas to other countries on a 10-year lease. Standard rental terms include rent 1 million US dollars per year and providing guarantees that all cubs born during the rental period are the property of the PRC.

In May 2005, the Chinese government offered to donate a pair of pandas to the Taiwanese authorities, which were subsequently named Tuan-Tuan and Yuan-Yuan (together they make up the word meaning “reunion”). However, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian refused to accept the gift, and the pandas arrived on the island only after the Kuomintang returned to power in 2008.

Thanks to some growth in the panda population, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 2016 changed the Red List status of the species from “endangered” to “vulnerable”.

Reproduction

Giant pandas reach sexual maturity between the ages of 4 and 8 years. The mating season lasts from mid-March to May. The rest of the time they lead single image life. Pregnancy lasts from 95 to 160 days. 1–2 cubs are born. The cub weighs between 90 and 130 grams, which is about 1/800 of the mother's weight, but, unlike other newborn bear cubs, is covered with a thin layer of fur. The mother cares only for the first unborn cub, abandoning the second. Childbirth occurs approximately every two years. Slow reproduction slows population growth, which likely avoids competition for food resources.

Until 2000, giant pandas did not breed in zoos. Reproduction of pandas in captivity is extremely rare.

Notes

1. Giant panda (English) according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information Service (ITIS).
2. Sokolov V. E. Five-language dictionary of animal names. Mammals. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / under the general editorship of academician. V. E. Sokolova. - M.: Rus. lang., 1984. - P. 97. - 10,000 copies.
3. Sarsembayev, Ilyas. Chinese scientists have deciphered the genome of giant pandas (undefined) . RIA Novosti (October 13, 2008). Retrieved February 16, 2015. Archived August 23, 2011.
4. Wilson D. E. & Reeder D. M. (eds).. - 3rd ed. - Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005. - Vol. 1. - P. 743. - ISBN 0-8018-8221-4. OCLC.
5. Pandas attacking people, famous cases and studies | In the jaws of animals(Russian) . animaljaws.com. Retrieved July 18, 2018.

Understanding the origin of the word "panda" is not a simple problem. The first mention of the giant panda in literature occurred more than 3,000 years ago in the Book of History and the Book of Songs (the earliest collection of Chinese poetry), which referred to the creature as pi and pixiu.

It was a long time ago. A family of Chinese shepherds settled on the slope of a mountain. Every morning they took out a flock of sheep to graze near the bamboo thickets. And a little panda came out of the forest to play with the sheep, because they were as white as him.
One day a huge leopard attacked a flock of sheep.
The sheep ran away, and the panda could not run fast. And he would not have escaped death, but the young shepherdess was not at a loss and began to beat the leopard with a stick.
She drove off the evil beast, but she herself received many wounds. And the brave shepherdess died. When the other pandas learned that the girl gave her life for their fellow panda, they began to cry bitterly and sprinkle themselves with ashes.
Crying, the pandas rubbed their eyes and covered their ears so as not to hear the echoes of universal grief. Consoling each other, they held their paws and sobbed. Since then, the snow-white skins of pandas have turned black, but not entirely, but only on the eyes, ears and paws.

The animal later appeared in Er Ya, the first Chinese dictionary; in the Classics of Seas and Mountains, famous book by geography; and in Annotated Readings from the Book of Songs. These books gave the panda three new names - mo, zhi yi and bai hu - and described the creature as a white fox, a white leopard, and an animal like a tiger or polar bear. As if the identity of this bamboo lover wasn't already confused enough, the giant panda in later literature also received new names meng shi shou (predator), bai bao ( white leopard), shi ti shou (iron-eating animal) and zhu xiong (bamboo bear). To this day, the Chinese name for the giant panda is still a matter of debate. Is it a banded bear (huaxiong), a cat bear (maoxiong), a bear-like cat (xiongmao), or a great panda (daxiongmao)?

Pandas are the common name for two species of Asian mammals of the order of carnivores, somewhat similar to each other in appearance and lifestyle, but belonging to different families. The giant panda, or bamboo bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), reaches a length of 1.5 m, not counting the tail (another 12.5 cm), and a weight of 160 kg. The animal has a very characteristic pattern: black or dark brown ears, “glasses” around the eyes, nose, lips and limbs, including the shoulder “yoke”, and the rest of the body is white, sometimes with a reddish tint. This species is found in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi, where it lives in dense thickets of bamboo among coniferous forests on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Usually observed at altitudes of 2700–3900 m above sea level, although in winter it sometimes descends to 800 m above sea level. Since the second half of the 20th century, the panda has become something of a national emblem of China. The giant panda feeds almost exclusively on bamboo, sometimes including other plants in its diet, such as irises and saffron, and even small mammals such as rodents. Usually the animal feeds in a sitting position for 10–12 hours a day, holding bamboo shoots with the “prethumbs” and the first two toes of the front paws, peeling the hard outer layer from the plants with its teeth, and then slowly chewing the peeled stem. This species is on the verge of extinction and is listed in the International Red Book. According to existing estimates, in the mid-1990s there were no more than 1,000 of its individuals left in the wild. Although killing a giant panda in China is punishable by... the death penalty, the main threat to it, apparently, remains poaching. Local peasants kill animals for their fur, and some individuals die in poachers’ traps set for musk deer. Systematic position The giant panda has been controversial for many years: it was classified as a member of the families of raccoons (Procyonidae), bears (Ursidae) or allocated to a special family of pandas (Ailuropodidae). However, molecular analysis, which included a comparison of proteins and DNA of this species and the named groups of carnivores, fully confirmed its proximity to bears, assumed on the basis of anatomical and paleontological data. The ancestors of the giant panda separated from the evolutionary line that led to their modern species 15–25 million years ago, so it was decided to separate it into a special subfamily Ailuropodinae of the bear family.

Red panda (lat. Ailurus fulgens- "fire-colored cat", also known as the red panda, "bear cat", "fire cat" - an animal of the red panda family, mainly herbivorous, slightly larger in size than a cat. Systematic position of the red panda for a long time it was unclear. It was classified either as a raccoon family, or as a bear family, or as a separate family. However, recent genetic studies have shown that the red panda forms its own family, Ailluridae, which, together with the families of raccoons, skunks and mustelids, forms the superfamily Musteloidea. Body length 51-64 cm, tail 28-48 cm, weighs 3-4.5 kg. The body is elongated, the tail is fluffy, the head is wide, with a short sharp muzzle and large pointed ears. Has 38 teeth. The paws are short, strong, with semi-retractable claws. The fur of the red panda is red or hazel on top, dark, reddish-brown or black below. The hair on the back has yellow tips. The paws are glossy black, the tail is red, with inconspicuous lighter narrow rings, the head is light, and the edges of the ears and muzzle are almost white, and near the eyes there is a pattern in the form of a mask. In my own way appearance The red panda is closest to the kinkajou. Written mentions of this beast in China go back to the 13th century, but Europeans learned about it only in the 19th century. It was officially “discovered” in 1821 by the English general and naturalist Thomas Hardwicke, who collected material on the territory of the English colonies. He suggested calling this animal the word “hha” (wha) - one of his Chinese names, based on imitation of the sounds made by the animal. In addition, the general said, the Chinese call it “hun-ho” and “poonya”, from which the modern panda is derived. However, the Latin name is Ailurus fulgens (brilliant cat), the new animal was given by the French naturalist Frederic Cuvier. The habitat of the red panda is limited to the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan in China, northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeast India. It is not found west of Nepal. Lives in mountain bamboo forests at an altitude of 2000-4000 m above sea level in conditions temperate climate. The ancestors of today's pandas were much more widespread; their remains are found in Eastern Europe, and in North America.

However, these animals were obviously adapted to a certain type of climate, with the change of which their range sharply decreased. Little panda leads a predominantly nocturnal (or rather, twilight) lifestyle, sleeping in a hollow during the day, curled up and covering its head with its tail. In case of danger, it also climbs trees. On the ground, pandas move slowly and awkwardly, but they climb trees well, but nevertheless they feed mainly on the ground. Although the red panda is a member of the order of carnivores, 95% of its diet consists of young leaves and shoots of bamboo. The remaining 5% is various fruits, berries, mushrooms, bird eggs and even small rodents. Unlike the giant panda, the small panda is very selective in its diet. If the “bamboo bear” eats almost all parts of the bamboo, the red panda looks for softer shoots. Observations have shown that red pandas spend 13 hours a day feeding. IN calm state red pandas make short sounds reminiscent of bird chirping. The red panda has a peaceful character and easily takes root in captivity. Pandas live in pairs or families in forests. The “personal” territory of the female, as shown latest research, occupies an area of ​​about 2.5 km?, the male is twice as large. The breeding season for pandas begins in January. Between mating and childbirth, the female takes from 90 to 145 days, of which only 50 days account for the actual development of the embryo, since fetal development does not begin immediately after conception, but after a fairly long time, called diapause. Shortly before giving birth, the female builds a nest of branches and leaves in a hollow or cleft in a rock. In a litter of 1-2, occasionally there are 4 blind cubs, but rarely more than one survives. They sometimes stay with their mother for a whole year, until a new litter. Although the habitat of the red panda occupies a very large territory and it has few natural enemies; this species is included in the International Red Data Book with the status “Endangered”. The fact is that the density of animals in nature is very low, and, in addition, the habitats of the red panda can easily be destroyed. Fortunately, the red panda breeds well in captivity. Currently, about 300 of these animals are kept in 85 zoos around the world, and the same number have been born in captivity over the past two decades.

The spotted bear, captivating with his good-natured smile, clumsy manner of eating bamboo, funny movements and sweet eyes, has long become a favorite of adults and children.

The giant panda in his black and white “fur coat” looks very attractive. It is considered one of the most ancient animals in the world and is currently on the verge of extinction. Giant pandas live exclusively in the high mountains and deep valleys of the upper Yangtze River. They feed on leaves and young shoots of bamboo. Due to continuous deterioration natural environment, which led to the flowering of monocarpic bamboo species and their widespread death, the number of giant pandas living in the wild is significantly reduced. Currently, there are only about 1,000 of them worldwide.

A few facts about pandas: The giant panda's special diet is very unusual among mammals. Only a handful of animals depend so heavily on bamboo, including the red panda, bamboo lemurs (golden bamboo lemur, greater bamboo lemur, and bamboo lemur (Hapalemur griseus)) found in Madagascar, and bamboo rats (including Rhizomys sinensis, R. pruinosus, and R. .sumatrensis), found in China and Southeast Asia. (Roberts 1992).

Bamboo varieties typically reproduce using lateral shoots underground. Periodically, bamboo reproduces in another way - through flowering, often by wide area, creating seeds and then dying. Generally it takes 2 to 3 years before new shoots emerge from the seeds. Between 1974 and 1976, umbrella bamboo (Fargesia), and other bamboo species on which pandas depend, became extinct across large areas of northern Sichuan and China. As a result, at least 138 pandas died. (Schaller et al. 1985)

Although by the end of the 1980s poaching of giant pandas was punishable by death, the financial reward for selling a giant panda skin was so high (more than the lifetime income of the average peasant) that even the death penalty did not seem a deterrent: “Even though I risked my life, it was worth it,” this quote from a poacher caught by the police. - "If you hadn't caught me, I would have been rich." (Schaller 1993)

In 1995, a Chinese farmer who shot and killed a giant panda and tried to sell its skin was sentenced to life in prison. (Oryx 1995q).

"Local residents hunted pandas a lot until 1949... last years However, most people have realized the rarity and value of the panda, now realizing that the panda is a national treasure, they are helping rather than killing it. When, for example, a sick adult panda came into the community in October 1978, the family fed it sugar beets and rice until it left three days later" (Schaller 1985).

The story of this non-bear is very interesting and even romantic. In the second half of the last century, an event occurred in the circles of zoologists and naturalists that alarmed even venerable scientists in many countries. To the Paris Museum natural history delivered original colored skin large animal, similar at first glance to a bear's. But when they spread it on the floor, they thought that it had been sewn by a skilled craftsman from large scraps of black and white animal fur. Mystery! The skin was thoroughly examined, turned over in the hands this way and that, but no traces of cutting and sewing, gluing or other fastening were found. What kind of skin is this? - the scientists thought. Maybe it belongs to an extinct animal? But some experts objected and believed that the fur on the skin was cleverly etched or dyed, but in reality it was a bear. But who and where obtained and delivered this mystery skin to Paris? In 1869, French missionary Armand David traveled to China. In addition to his religious activities, he, being a naturalist, simultaneously collected information about the animal world of the country and acquired interesting exhibits. In one of the remote villages of Sichuan province, he discovered this strange skin on the fence of a house. David acquired it after local residents told him that it belonged to a real beast that lived in the vicinity of the village, high in the mountains among bamboo thickets. The name of the animal is "bei-shung", which roughly translates to "white mountain bear". A. David managed to send the skin to Paris, and he continued the search for the owner of the skin. He got lucky. In the same year, he purchased a killed bei-shung from hunters, processed it and sent it to France with his hunting stories. This was 114 years ago. Having received the second skin and skeleton, scientists were able to draw conclusions. For its great external resemblance to an ordinary bear and based on the nature of its diet (A. David reported that bei-shungs feed mainly on bamboo), it was originally called a bamboo bear. However, having carefully studied the received materials, zoologists soon abandoned the hasty definition and, based on many morphological and anatomical features, classified the new animal as a member of the raccoon family and called it a giant panda. Big because earlier, in 1825, the red panda, an animal that lives in some areas of Asia, was added to the family. In appearance, it differs sharply from the new one, and the small and large pandas are listed in their family in different genera. Years passed, but the original name of the giant panda - bamboo bear - turned out to be tenacious, and it is often used in everyday life, since the external resemblance to a bear is undeniable. I must admit that when I first saw a live giant panda during a trip to China, I was also amazed by its appearance. Well straight away polar bear wearing large horn-rimmed glasses at an animal carnival, wearing a black vest, black gloves, stockings, and headphones. Opening unusual beast, as usual, turned against him. Not only scientists, but also rare miners became interested in the panda hunting trophies, trappers and traders of wild animals. Many adventurers from Europe and the New World flocked to China. But getting to the giant pandas' habitats was extremely difficult. On the way of the hunters stood high mountains, impassable roads, dense forests, impenetrable thickets of bamboo, numerous water obstacles, mountain falls... With the help local residents The first giant panda was caught in 1916, but it quickly died. And only twenty years later, an American woman acquired a young panda and safely delivered her to the USA, to the city of San Francisco. Local hunters, as soon as they caught the animal, named it Su-Lin, which translated meant “a small piece of enormous value.” And this was true. The giant panda is the rarest animal in the world. It is common only in Chinese People's Republic. Now inhabits mountain forests at an altitude of up to two thousand meters above sea level and higher in Sichuan province. Perhaps it has also been preserved in unexplored, hard-to-reach places in Gansu province and a number of regions of Tibet. The first born in captivity, Su-Lin (it was a female), was exhibited in a number of US zoos. Some time later, after a long search, two adult pandas were again brought to the United States, and then several of these animals ended up in London. Until that time, there were no such animals in any of the zoos in the world. After the Second World War, the habitat areas of these rare animals were declared protected areas. Several research groups have begun to carefully study the Beishung to see if the bamboo bears can be kept and bred in captivity. The expeditions were successful. In 1957, the giant panda first settled in our country, in a special house on the territory of the Moscow Zoo. It was a large male named Pin-Pin. And in the summer of 1959, we managed to purchase a second copy, according to the plan, in pair with Pin-Ping. His name was An-An, but, unfortunately, he also turned out to be a male. So two handsome little boys lived with us in Moscow. In 1961, an Austrian businessman took to China large group African animals and exchanged her for a young female giant panda named Chi-Chi. With this zoological star, one of the prominent English zoologists named it so - the owner of Chi-Chi arrived in England, where he sold it to the London Zoological Society for huge money. In 1966, the British suggested that we reunite the Moscow gentleman An-An with Chi-Chi. We agreed, and the overseas bride arrived from London to Moscow on a special flight. It was housed in a transport “carriage” made of plexiglass, non-ferrous metals and plastic. This extraordinary guest was met by zoological scientists, representatives of our government agencies, employees of the capital's zoo, employees of the British Embassy and a great many correspondents. One of them said jokingly: “I often visit the capital’s international airport as part of my work, but I have never met a single prime minister like this.” And indeed, there was a lot of noise. Chi-Chi lived at the Moscow Zoo for six months, but did not become friends with AnyAny, and was sent back. In 1968, the experiment was repeated. This time An-An flew to visit Chi-Chi. He lived in London for six months and also to no avail. But, as you know, every cloud has a silver lining: both meetings, although they did not give the desired result, helped us better understand the peculiarities of the biology of giant pandas. For example, no one suspected that animals that are good-natured in appearance and completely gentle in character can, under certain circumstances, be very aggressive. Sometimes fierce fights took place between our “informants.” It was necessary to separate them with fire hoses, blank shots from hunting rifles, and also use special pikes and shields made of thick plywood. When attacking and defending, the animals showed great dexterity and techniques typical of predators: grabbing the enemy with their front paws, powerful blows to the enemy’s head with their paws, rapid ramming with their entire body weight, grabbing with their teeth, and so on. It turned out that these usually silent animals have very loud voices. The excited Chi-Chi whined, and then made such sharp trumpet sounds that the glass in the windows next door shook. She even mooed, just like a cow. During meetings, the gentleman bleated like a sheep, squealed, and at critical moments of the fight he trumpeted and mooed.

For a long time, nothing was known about the reproduction of giant pandas, but in September 1963, in the Beijing Zoo, a female named Li-Li gave birth to a baby whose weight was 142 grams. He grew very quickly and by the age of five months he had gained ten kilograms. The baby was named Min-Min, that is, “brilliant, sparkling.” For the first ten days after birth, the female did not let him go even while eating. She tossed the two-month-old cub from paw to paw, playing with it like a doll. At three months old, the shiny one began to move independently - the mother would fall asleep, and he would go for a walk, but she quickly woke up, instantly found her child and spanked him with her paw. In September 1964, the same female gave birth to a second baby, and scientists were able to determine that giant pandas carry their cubs for approximately 140 days. Young pandas in captivity are very playful. They are good-natured, funny, move a lot, take the most unusual poses: - they can stand on their heads, helping themselves with their front paws, they tumble over their heads very well, they deftly climb grates and nets, ladders, ropes and poles . With their front paws they hold balls, enamel and aluminum bowls while waiting to be filled with food. They treat people without any hostility, but when playing and fussing, they have no sense of restraint; they can accidentally grab them with their teeth, scratch them with the claws of their front paws and press them against the wall. But at the same time, they are well tamed and quickly remember the nicknames given to them. Having reached three or four years of age, giant pandas become slower, they are no longer so trusting of people, and they have to be handled with caution. The beast is not small. The shoulder height of adult animals is up to seventy, and the body length is up to one hundred and seventy centimeters. Solid and weighty. An adult male who lived in the Moscow Zoo reached 185 kilograms by the age of twelve, and he was not overfed; this is strictly monitored at the zoo.

The "solidity" of adult pandas is expressed in their amazing poses. They can sit as if in a chair, leaning one of their front paws on a ledge and leaning their back against some object. In this position, they can take a nap or slowly do their toilet, or they simply clean the branches of brooms from leaves and slowly chew them. In nature, pandas are active at dawn and at night. The same was observed in the zoo. From about ten in the morning until four or five in the afternoon, most of the time the animals were in the shade, stretched out on the ground of the pen or on the floor of the cage, and dozed. With the onset of dusk, they became active, moved a lot, played, fed, and from the traces they left, we established that they were not idle even in the dark. Their fur coat is warm; at outside temperatures down to minus ten degrees, our pets willingly walked in open enclosures, swam in the snow, and walked a lot with their characteristic waddling gait with a sort of shaking of their heads from side to side. We noticed that pandas are very clean. Most of the time they are silent, only occasionally making sounds similar to bleating. They don't like summer torrential rains, they hide from them in shelters, but after the rain they willingly wander through puddles and damp grass. But they refuse to swim in the pool, they just run in the shallow water, splashing themselves with splashes.

The giant panda has captivated the whole world with its touching appearance. 15 years ago, many experts predicted the extinction of giant pandas as bamboo forests in western China were rapidly being cut down. Currently, according to the most optimistic estimates, natural conditions Just over 1,500 animals have survived and the giant panda is officially listed in the Red Book. Serious steps are being taken to prevent its extinction and increase the number of animals. However, giant pandas are well known to zoologists for their low sexual activity, so there are huge problems with breeding them in captivity. Every giant panda born immediately becomes a star.

Conservation status: Endangered species.
Listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The giant panda is a quiet creature with a distinctive black and white costume, widely adored around the world. The panda is also considered a national treasure in China. For WWF (Worldwide Fund wildlife) panda has special meaning, since since 1961, the founding of this organization, it has been depicted on their logo.

The giant panda is considered a rare animal in China, and its population is limited to the provinces of Gansu, Sichuan, and Shanxi in the central part of the country. The total range covers 29.5 thousand km², but only 5.9 thousand km² is the habitat range of the giant panda.

Habitat

The giant panda lives in mixed coniferous, montane and broad-leaved forests where bamboo is present.

Description

In general, giant pandas have a round head, stocky body and short tail. The height at the shoulders is 65-70 cm. These animals are well known for their characteristic black and white markings. The limbs, eyes, ears and shoulders are black, while the rest is white. In some regions, the color black actually has a dark red tint. The dark markings around the eyes may be the reason for the popularity of these animals, giving them a naive, juvenile appearance. Enlarged shoulders and neck area along with reduced hind limbs create an amble. Baculum (bone that is formed in connective tissue penis) is present in many other mammals. However, in other bears they are straight and pointing forward, while in pandas they have S-shape and directed backwards.

Giant pandas have several skull bone joints. They have a large sagittal ridge, which has become wider and deeper due to powerful jaws. The molars and small molars are wider and flatter than those of other bears, which is why pandas have developed the ability to crush tough bamboo. A notable feature of these animals is the extra opposable finger on the hand, known as the “panda thumb.” This has caused much confusion in the past when classifying these bears. In fact, it is not a thumb, but a skin protrusion.

Reproduction

Female pandas become more active during the breeding season and use scent markings. A study conducted between sexually active females and inactive pandas suggests that scent markings relate to sexual activity. Males may compete for a female.

Mating occurs from March to May. The female's estrus lasts approximately 1-3 days. Females lose their previous activity during the period of estrus, become restless and lose their appetite. Most babies are born in late summer and early fall. Pregnancy lasts about 6 weeks. At birth, babies are blind and helpless, and their body is covered with a small layer of fur. The weight of newborns is 85-140 g.

After giving birth, the mother helps the baby lie down in a position comfortable for sucking. The cub can be attached to the mother about 14 times a day, lasting up to 30 minutes per feeding. The cubs open their eyes at 3 weeks of life, move independently at 3-4 months, and are weaned from mother's milk at approximately 46 weeks. The cub remains with its mother for up to 18 months. Giant pandas do not reproduce well in captivity.

When studying the behavior of giant pandas in captivity, it was found that in half of the cases twins are born. The mother, as a rule, gives preference to one of them, and the second soon dies.

Lifespan

One giant panda is known to have reached the age of 34 in captivity, but this is rare. The average lifespan of these animals is 26 years, and occasionally 30 years.

Behavior

Unlike many other bears, giant pandas do not hibernate. But they descend to lower altitudes during the winter. Giant pandas do not build permanent burrows, but rather take refuge in trees and caves. They are primarily terrestrial animals, but are also good climbers and swimmers. Giant pandas are mostly solitary except during breeding season. Panda mothers play with their cubs, not only to soothe the babies, but also for fun. Some mothers often wake up their cubs to play with them.

Diet

Giant pandas have a strict energy reserve. They move little and, as a rule, obtain food while moving. Giant pandas can spend 10-12 hours a day eating. Bamboo is the pandas' main source of nutrition, but the animal only gets about 17% of its nutrients from the leaves and stems. Giant pandas are well known for their upright feeding posture, which allows their front legs to freely handle bamboo stalks. An extra finger on a panda's hand helps it tear bamboo. The walls of the panda's stomach are extremely muscular, thanks to which woody food is digested, and the intestines are covered with a thick layer of mucus, which protects against splinters.

Their diet consists of: bamboo stems and shoots, fruits, plants, small mammals, fish and insects.

Threats

The black and white coat of giant pandas may have served as protection against predators in the past when pandas were exposed to predation pressure. The black and white pattern gives them a zebra-like appearance. Moreover, in the past, when these pandas lived in snowy regions, White color, may have helped these bears hide in the surrounding area. However, today pandas live in almost snow-free areas. Fortunately, today there are no predators that threaten pandas.

Role in the ecosystem

The giant panda population is closely related to bamboo abundance and vice versa. Pandas help distribute bamboo seeds throughout the surrounding area. However, pandas significantly reduce the amount of bamboo, which makes it difficult for themselves to find food. Protected panda habitats will help preserve natural habitats.

Economic value for humans: Positive

Giant pandas have been hunted for their fur. In recent years the hide has been seen as a valuable sleeping mat; it is convenient, but is also believed to have supernatural protection against ghosts and help predict the future through dreams. Panda skin is highly prized in Japan, with prices reaching around $100. Giant pandas are also popular in zoos and attract many people.

Economic significance for humans: Negative

There are no real evidence negative influence giant pandas, primarily due to their rarity. Pandas occupy areas that could be considered valuable areas for agriculture, but the presence of pandas, and their economic impact on tourism and ecosystem conservation, is likely to outweigh any negative impacts.

A soft and kind animal, the panda is similar in appearance to a bear. The main differences from bears are the panda's long tail and the structure of its teeth.

In the photo of the panda you can see a white head, the eyes around are painted in black circles, dark fur on the limbs, and black ears. Thanks to this color, the animal is camouflaged.

Pandas are reclusive by nature and do not reproduce in the absence of favorable conditions.

Habitat

Where do pandas live? The animals' natural habitat is dense bamboo thickets in the countries of Far Asia. In winter, they go into semi-hibernation.

It’s not easy to buy such a pet for home or a zoo, because cute bears are very expensive, and registration is also required large quantity papers In addition, they are included in the Red Book lists.

Features of character and life

This bear is very lazy. To the point that he is too lazy to even mate, look for a mate, and care for them.

As a result, the animal population is greatly reduced. In captivity, they can reproduce if conditions are favorable.

Pandas lead a reclusive lifestyle. It is very rare to meet couples. Animals mate only during the mating season to prolong the race.

Often the male may not find a mate; this is due to the fact that bamboo forests are being intensively cut down. The mating season lasts only three days. The lifespan of animals in captivity is no more than 30 years.

Red pandas

These bears have a reddish tint of fur mixed with black. Their sizes are much smaller than those of their black relatives. They live in bamboo forests. They are nocturnal animals. And during the daytime they rest in their hollows.

It is difficult for bears to move on the ground. But they move easily along tree branches, especially when looking for food or when they are in danger. They communicate with each other using sounds similar to birdsong.

A photo of a panda animal can bring a smile and tenderness to everyone, since they are cute and clumsy.

Diet

What do pandas eat? An adult searches for food for more than 12 hours a day. The basis of the bears' diet is young bamboo stems.

If there are no young bamboo shoots, old, tough shoots may also be eaten. During the course of a day, an adult eats about 25 kilograms of bamboo.

With the help of powerful teeth they can chew even the toughest bamboo stems. Such food is low-calorie, so the panda eats almost the whole day. For a long time, such a product was considered the basis of the animal diet.

Since they are reclusive, their lifestyle and diet are little studied. But later they were seen in intestinal tract dead animal bones. Scientists have made the assumption that sometimes animals do not hesitate to eat carrion.

If difficulties arise with food, pandas can eat grape vines, leaves and stems not only of bamboo, but also of other trees and shrubs.

Features of reproduction

The mating season for pandas lasts only 36 hours. If during this time the male manages to find a female to mate with, after a while the female gives birth to one or two small and blind cubs. After 30 days, they gradually begin to see the world around them.

After three to four weeks, the babies’ naked bodies gradually begin to become covered with fur, after which they become almost similar to adults.

The body weight of a newborn baby is no more than two hundred grams. At the same time, he is completely unadapted to life, absolutely helpless.

After two months, the body weight of the panda cub reaches almost four kilograms, and the body weight adult varies from 20 to 150 kilograms. Before giving birth to children, the expectant mother begins to actively build a home for them. If two babies are born, usually only one of them survives.

The mother continues to care for the child throughout the year, since the baby is completely helpless. In captivity, the lifespan of animals is about 30 years. Given favorable conditions, they reproduce successfully, even in captivity.

How long these cute bears live in nature has not yet been determined. According to scientists, average duration life in natural environment habitat is also about 20 years.

Pandas have their own character, prudence, and they are noble. In China, these animals are considered a sacred symbol.

The animal is noble, even slightly arrogant. It attracts many and evokes emotion. These cute bears are a species whose population is currently in significant decline.

Therefore, people themselves must make as much effort as possible to preserve these animals, create conditions for them in which they can live normally. To do this, it is necessary to prevent the total deforestation of bamboo forests.

Panda photo

The giant panda, or bamboo bear (lat. Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a mammal of the Bear family with a peculiar black and white coat color, which has some characteristics of raccoons. The only one modern look genus Ailuropus of the subfamily Ailuropodinae. Giant pandas live in the mountainous regions of central China: Sichuan and Tibet. Since the second half of the 20th century, the panda has become something of a national emblem of China.

Bear-cat

The Chinese name (xiongmao xiongmao) means "cat bear". Its Western name comes from the red panda. Previously, it was also called the spotted bear (Ailuropus melanoleucus).

Description of the panda

An interesting thing is that there is a family of Pandas (Ailuridae) where this type Excluded. Thus, despite its Western name, the giant panda is not formally a panda. The length of the giant panda reaches 1.2-1.5 m and weighs from 30 to 160 kg. Unlike other bears, it has a rather long tail (up to 12 cm). The body is massive, covered with thick white fur with black spots around the eyes (“spectacles”), black ears and black paws. The short, thick hind legs have sharp claws. On the soles and at the base of each toe, bare pads are well developed, making it easier to hold the smooth bamboo stems.

Giant pandas have unusual front feet, with a "thumb" and five normal toes; The “thumb” is actually a modified sesamoid bone of the wrist and allows you to handle even thin bamboo shoots. Biologist Stephen Jay Gould devoted his article “The Panda’s Thumb” to the origin of this “sixth finger,” which became the title of a collection of his works on evolution.

Diet

Despite the fact that pandas are carnivorous animals, their diet is overwhelmingly vegetarian. In fact, they only eat bamboo. An adult panda eats up to 30 kg of bamboo and shoots per day. To protect against bamboo slivers, the esophagus and stomach are lined with a thick layer of elastic mucous tissue. To feed pandas, the zoo has created a special “cookie” made from pressed bamboo fibers. Strictly speaking, like many animals, pandas are omnivores. Thus, pandas are known to occasionally eat eggs, small birds, animals and some insects, as well as carrion along with their bamboo diet. Animal food for pandas is an essential source of protein. If in any place all the bamboo dies after flowering, then the pandas living there are in danger of dying from starvation.

Area

The range of males is wider than that of females, which choose high-altitude forests on steep slopes that provide better shelter for giving birth in bamboo thickets. In the summer, pandas climb to altitudes of up to 4,000 meters to avoid high temperatures. For many years, the exact taxonomic classification of pandas has been the subject of debate among scientists - both giant and red pandas have characteristics of both bears and raccoons. At the end of the 19th century, scientists examined four giant panda skins and decided that the giant panda was an ancient representative of bears, almost the ancestor of modern bears. In 1936, an American specialist in comparative animal anatomy, Professor William Gregory, after a thorough analysis, found in the giant panda many anatomical features characteristic of American raccoons, and came to the conclusion that the giant panda is a giant raccoon. Finally, genetic tests have proven that the giant panda is in fact a bear, and its closest relative is the spectacled bear living in South America. The red panda forms its own family, Pandas (Ailuridae), which, together with the families of raccoons, skunks and mustelids, form the superfamily Martenidae. The giant panda is an endangered species, characterized by an ever-decreasing population size and low level fertility, both in the wild and in captivity.

Scientists estimate that there are about 1,600 individuals left in the wild. The giant panda is the symbol of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Public Favorites

Adult giant panda at the San Diego Zoo
The giant panda first became known in the West in 1869 thanks to the French missionary Armand David (1826-1900). Giant pandas soon became a crowd favorite due to their resemblance to teddy bears. Also, the fact that pandas are practically vegetarians and eat mainly bamboo also contributed to the created innocent appearance of a living soft toy.

The human and panda genomes are 68% identical.

Leasing giant pandas to zoos in the United States and Japan was an important part of Chinese diplomacy in the 1970s, one of the first manifestations of cultural exchange between China and the West. However, the first case of a panda being given for diplomatic purposes dates back to the Tang Dynasty, when Empress Wu Zetian gave a pair of pandas to the Japanese monarch.
However, starting in 1984, pandas were no longer given as gifts for diplomatic purposes. Instead, China is offering pandas to other countries on a 10-year lease. Standard lease terms include a rent of US$1 million per year and a guarantee that all cubs born during the lease period are the property of the People's Republic of China.

In May 2005, the Chinese government offered to donate a pair of pandas to the Taiwanese authorities, which were subsequently named Tuan-Tuan and Yuan-Yuan (together they make up the word meaning “reunion”). However, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian refused to accept the gift, and the pandas arrived on the island only after the Kuomintang returned to power in 2008.

China has the death penalty for killing a panda

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Reproduction

Giant pandas reach sexual maturity between the ages of 4 and 8 years. The mating season lasts from mid-March to May. The rest of the time these animals live alone. Pregnancy lasts from 95 to 160 days. 1-2 cubs are born. The cub weighs between 90 and 130 grams, which is about 1/800 the weight of the mother, but, unlike other bears, is covered with a thin layer of fur. The mother cares only for the first non-stillborn cub, abandoning the second. Childbirth occurs approximately once every 2 years. Slow reproduction slows population growth, which likely avoids competition for food resources.
Until 2000, giant pandas did not breed in zoos.