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Fact File: Giant Panda + Special News!

Nicole Anson
Sep 6, 2016
2 min read

Today is another animal fact file on... Giant Pandas! Also we have special news! Giant Pandas are not endangered on the IUCN Red List anymore! They have been moved up to vulnerable which means they're still threatened but not as much as they were before. A survey shows an estimate of 1,864 adult pandas and 2,060 cubs. Yay! More special news is that tomorrow (7 September) is National Threatened Species Day, so make sure to remember to check my blog for more information on that tomorrow! Now here is some information on them.

Characteristics

Giant Pandas scientific name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca. The average height range for them is 60 to 90 centimetres from the shoulder, average length range is 1.2 to 1.8 metres and average weight is 130 to 160 kilograms. Giant Pandas are part of the bear family but were separated from other bear species at an earlier period in the evolution.

Habitat

Giant Pandas use to live in southern and eastern China, Myanmar and north Vietnam. Today wild Pandas live in six major mountains ranges in the Sichuan and Gansu Provinces in China but there are handfuls of Pandas in zoos all over the world.

Diet

Giant Pandas are natural meat eaters (carnivores) like their bear family which includes Grizzly Bears, Polar Bears and Sun Bears but they stick with a vegetarian diet (omnivores) now. They mainly eat just bamboo which Pandas have a special thumb for picking and eating it easier.

Reproduction

Giant Pandas reach their maturity breeding age between 4 and 8 years of age and are reproductive until the age of 20. The female Panda has her cubs between 95 and 160 days after mating. They usually have 2 cubs but only 1 survives and cubs don't open their eyes 6 to 8 weeks after birth. They stay with their mother until they reach the age of 3 before living by themselves.