Q: Are there colorful giant pandas?
A: In addition to the common black and white giant panda, there are also other color variations. Brown giant pandas have been found in Foping National Reserve and Changqing National Reserve in Shaanxi, China, and white giant pandas have been found in Wolong National Natural Reserve, Sichuan, China.
Q: Is giant panda's tail black or white?
A: White.
Q: Is the fur of a giant panda soft?
A: The giant panda's coat is relatively rough, with some elasticity, and the bottom layer has some fluff. Its coat has good thermal insulation and moisture resistance, so giant pandas can live normally in the cold snow.
Q: How long does a giant panda live?
A: Research shows that the maximum lifespan of a wild giant panda is about 26 years, and the average lifespan is about 19 years. The lifespan of a captive-bred giant panda ranges from 20 to 30 years old, and the current maximum is 38 years old. A 1-year-old giant panda's is equivalent to a human's 3-4-year-old child.
Q: How are the age stages of giant pandas divided?
A: Infancy (from birth to 0.5 years old), youth (0.5 to 1.5 years old), sub-adulthood (1.5 to 5 years old) , adulthood (5 to 21 years old), and old age (21 years old and above).
Q: How are the age of giant pandas determined?
A: One way is to group the giant pandas according to their age based on the bamboo bites, chewing degree and dung size in their feces, so as to determine their approximate age. Another method is to identify the age of giant pandas through microscopic observation of tooth slices. Generally, researchers determine the age of giant pandas by looking at the color and wear degree of their teeth and the external morphology.
Q: How much does a giant panda weigh?
A: A wild giant panda usually weighs 90-110 kg, the heaviest one can reach 120-130 kg; a panda that is captive-bred usually weighs 90-125 kg, and the heaviest can reach 180 kg.
Q: How tall is a giant panda?
A: The shoulder height of a giant panda is usually 0.65-0.75 meters, and the hip height is about 0.64-0.65 meters.
Q: What is the length of a giant panda?
A: The body length of a giant panda is generally 1.2 to 1.8 meters.
Q: Are there differences in body size between female and male giant pandas?
A: Yes, there are differences, the male body size is slightly larger, the difference is about 10%-18%.
Q: What is the female-to-male ratio of giant pandas?
A: The female-to-male ratio of giant pandas is about 1.16：1.
Q: How long are panda’s feet?
A: The foot length of a giant panda is 12-20 cm.
Q: How many toes does a giant panda have?
A: A giant panda has 5 toes on each of its front and back feet, and a pseudo-thumb made up of the radial sesamoid bone on the front foot. This "pseudo-thumb" helps them grasp the bamboo stem tightly and quickly feed on delicious bamboo.
Q: Why do panda cubs have such long tails?
A: The ancestors of giant pandas were carnivores, and their cubs from birth to pre-adulthood, more or less, carried of their ancestor's characteristic—long tails. During the growth and development of giant pandas, their tails will gradually stop growing, and the tails of giant pandas are much shorter in adulthood.
Q: Why do giant pandas have shorter tails when they grow up?
A: From birth to adulthood, the length of the giant panda's tail increases very little compared to its body, mainly because its width increases. Compared with the body length and huge size of adult giant pandas, the flat tail is not very visually prominent, which has caused many people to misunderstand that giant pandas have no tails.
Q: What is the purpose of the giant panda's short and wide tail?
A: The giant panda's tail is relatively short, about 10-12 cm in length, and it is furry and usually sticks to its body. When the tail glands, perianal glands and vulva secrete secretions, pandas can use their tails as a brush to make marks around.
Q: What is the purpose of the giant panda's frequent mark making behavior?
A: Each giant panda will mark its scent with perianal glands on the trees or stones at the edge of its territory to warn trespassers not to enter. The purpose of this marking behavior is to inform other giant pandas of its individual information as gender/age. Also, a panda can interpret from it the physiological state such as whether other giant pandas are in estrus by sniffing their scent markings.
Q: What are the changes in the appearance and organs of giant pandas from ancient times to modern times?
A: Anatomically, no matter its external shape or part of its organ structure, the giant panda has both retained ancestral characteristics and adopted adaptive changes. The most obvious is that in order to adapt to the staple food bamboo, the giant panda, from the skull, teeth and limbs to the digestive tract, has undergone some changes. The organ changes are mainly the enlargement of the chewing surface of the molars and the evolution of the sixth finger.
