Where does the panda live? Giant panda or bamboo bear
PANDAS
common name for two species of Asian mammals of the order Carnivora, several similar friends similar in appearance and lifestyle, but belonging to different families.
Big 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. 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 “pre-thumbs” 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. The “prethumb” - like the sixth finger in the hand - is not homologous to the others, but is formed by an outgrowth of one of the bones of the wrist (radial sesamoid). Giant pandas mate in the spring. Gestation lasts approximately 5 months and up to three babies are born, but usually only one grows. The length of pregnancy varies, probably due to a delay in implantation of the embryo in the uterus. The animals reach sexual maturity at the age of 6-7 years, and in captivity they lived up to 14 years, although it is believed that in nature they can live longer. 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 for murder big panda While China has the death penalty, its main threat appears to be poaching. Local peasants kill animals for their fur, and some individuals die in poachers’ traps set for musk deer. The taxonomic position of the giant panda has been controversial for many years: it was classified as a member of the raccoon families (Procyonidae), bears (Ursidae), or allocated to a special panda family (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. From the evolutionary line that led to them modern species, the ancestors of the giant panda separated 15-25 million years ago, so it was decided to separate it into a special subfamily Ailuropodinae of the bear family.
Little panda(Ailurus fulgens) is found from the Himalayas in Nepal to the Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan and lives at altitudes of 1800-4800 m above sea level. in forests with a lower tier of bamboo. It forms the basis of its diet, which also includes acorns, berries, other plant material, as well as small animals, birds and eggs. The length of the head and body is approximately 65 cm, the tail is up to 50 cm, and the weight is up to 6 kg. The muzzle is almost white with a reddish-brown stripe crossing the eyes and extending from them around the mouth. The rest of the body is reddish or nutty above and reddish-brown to black below. Fluffy tail with alternating red and yellowish rings. This solitary nocturnal animal climbs trees well, but feeds mainly on the ground. The mating season appears to occur in winter, and pregnancy lasts about four months. There are from one to four cubs in a litter. They reach adult sizes at one year old, and sexual maturity at one and a half years. In captivity, these animals live up to 14 years. The red panda belongs to the raccoon family.
Collier's Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .
See what "PANDAS" are in other dictionaries:
Two species of mammals of the raccoon family. The red panda, body length 51-64 cm, tail 28-48 cm, lives in the mountains in southwest China, northern Myanmar and Nepal. The giant panda is often called the bamboo bear... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Is this species on the verge of extinction and is listed in the International Red Book? Giant panda Giant panda Scientific ... Wikipedia
Two species of mammals of the raccoon family. The red panda, body length 51-64 cm, tail 28-48 cm, lives in the mountains in southwest China, northern Myanmar and Nepal. The giant panda is more often called the bamboo bear. * * * PANDAS PANDAS, two types... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Pandas- Panda. PANDAS, two species of mammals. The giant panda belongs to the bear family. Body length 120-180 cm, tail about 12 cm. Fur color is a combination of white and black. It feeds mainly on bamboo shoots and roots. Preserved in the mountain... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Two species of mammals of the family. raccoons Lesser P., body length 51-64 cm, tail 28-48 cm, lives in the mountains in the southwest of China, in the north of Myanmar and Nepal. Large P. is more often called. bamboo bear... Natural science. encyclopedic Dictionary
The panda, also known as the bamboo bear, is a member of the raccoon family of mammals. The only species of the genus. By appearance very similar to a bear, but it is distinguished from a real bear by a different structure of teeth and comparatively a long tail. This bear-like animal long time was considered a "huge raccoon", due to common anatomical features with the red panda, which was considered a raccoon unconditionally. But simple peasants in China have long called it “polar bear” or “bamboo bear,” which turned out to be closer to the truth, which taxonomists figured out not so long ago.
Pandas live in dense thickets of bamboo forests in China, the island of Kalimantan and Indonesia, which are both shelter and the main source of food for these rare animals. To completely saturate the adult body of a “bamboo bear,” about eighteen kilograms of young shoots and juicy bamboo stems are required per day, which the animal grinds with its jaws. This type of food is very low in nutrition, as a result of which the animal is forced to chew throughout its waking hours, which ranges from ten to twelve hours. In addition, food can include carrion, small animals and birds, which the bear eats very rarely.
IN wildlife The “bamboo bear” lives alone, and only once a year, during the mating season, it meets with a female or male to prolong its offspring. The result of which is the birth of one, rarely two, naked, helpless and blind cub. The eyes of a newborn bear cub open only after a month. At the expiration of three weeks, the baby panda begins to grow hair, acquiring its signature color and “glasses”, and its weight is no more than 175 grams, which is rapidly gaining and already in two months reaches 3-4 kilograms, and by mature age– 17-160 kilograms.
But pandas living in the wild have nothing to envy: humans, while developing territories, are deforesting, which is why most individuals do not have time to find their partner during the short three-day mating season and are left without offspring, thereby reducing their population, which numbers about seven hundred individuals. Therefore, the panda has long been listed in the Red Book, and every newborn is of great value and joy.
IN given time The panda is considered a national treasure of China, a symbol of friendship and peace, due to which most individuals live under the strictest protection national reserves in the southwestern regions of the country.
The panda, or bamboo bear, is a cute and cute animal that differs from its other counterparts in its kind of unusual color. Although not all zoologists classify the panda as a member of the bear family. Its length can be up to one and a half meters, and its weight can be up to one hundred and sixty kilograms. Thick and short paws with sharp, long claws help the bear climb trees and stay on the smooth trunks of bamboo, which it feeds on.
The panda has two features that distinguish it from other animals: a long tail and color. The tail of a bamboo bear can reach twelve centimeters. The entire body of the bear is covered with thick fur white. Only the paws, spots around the eyes and the so-called “collar” across the shoulders and neck are black. 
Pandas are solitary animals. They do not flock and do not live in groups. Females and males come together only during the mating season. When a baby is born - usually one, sometimes twins are born - the mother raises him until a certain age, then leaves. Unlike brown bears, bamboo do not hibernate, this is not typical for them. The bear spends almost all his time eating - he chews bamboo shoots 10-12 hours a day. 
This animal is listed in the Red Book. Zoologists discovered it not so long ago - only in the 19th century. Therefore, we have studied the panda’s habits and lifestyle so far only superficially. This rare animal is quite secretive and timid; it loves to live in captivity and prefers to hide from humans if they invade its territory. The panda lives in the western regions of China, the Tibetan mountains and Sichuan.
The giant panda is a mammal from the same family as bears, although for a long time Zoologists placed it either in the raccoon family or in their own special family. Pandas feed mainly on young, thin shoots of bamboo and therefore live only where there is a lot of bamboo growing. It is no coincidence that the panda is called the “bamboo bear”. Giant pandas live only in the mountain forests of several western provinces of China (Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu). Previously, it also lived in mountain bamboo forests in Indochina and on the island of Kalimantan, but its habitat is shrinking due to deforestation and the periodic death of bamboo thickets after mass flowering.
Bamboo blooms rarely: once every 10, or even 100 years, depending on the species. In this case, they immediately bloom, form seeds, and then all the plants die off over a large area. It takes bamboo seeds at least a year to take root and sprout, and it takes at least 20 years for a new thicket to grow in the place of a extinct forest. So pandas are forced to look for new thickets where they can feed themselves. Judging by satellite images, natural habitat The giant panda's habitat has been halved over the past 15 years.
Giant pandas are nocturnal animals. Having settled somewhere in the bamboo thickets, the animal breaks off young plants with its front paws and methodically eats leaves, shoots and stems. During the day, pandas sleep somewhere in a secluded place among the rocks or in the hollow of a tree.
In the past, poachers killed these animals for their beautiful skins, but now pandas are under the strictest protection of the law. In China, the giant panda is declared a national treasure. The panda is a very secretive animal, and therefore scientists still know very little about its habits and way of life. For the first time, naturalists observed a living panda in nature only in 1913.
Today, according to scientists, only approx. 1,600 pandas is too few to consider the species safe from extinction. Pandas are kept in many zoos around the world - there they live longer than in the wild. The oldest panda in the zoo was 34 years old. Scientists are making attempts to breed pandas in captivity, but the animals form married couples very reluctantly. And even if the cub is born, it is difficult to raise it: the bear cub is born very tiny. A baby panda weighs no more than 100 grams.
Where did the meteorite that killed the dinosaurs fall?
The world became aware of the big and small panda only at the end of the nineteenth century, despite the fact that they are very ancient and rare animals. From the moment of discovery, the study of these interesting and unusual animals began. But after two centuries of constant research, much about these mammals still remains a mystery. Scientists cannot come to a common opinion about the class of these animals. This problem is further aggravated by the fact that these two types have many differences between them. Therefore, nowadays one can hear a large number of discussions on the topic: “Is a panda a bear or a raccoon?”
Description of the large “bamboo bear”
This type of animal is usually classified as a mammal, a carnivorous order, a raccoon family, and a panda subfamily. But not so long ago, the Australian researcher E. Tennius conducted a series of morphological, cardiological, ethological and biochemical analyses. Based on the results, the scientist found that out of sixteen characteristics, five of the giant panda are a raccoon, and the remaining twelve are characteristic only of it alone.
If we consider the appearance of this animal, then the giant panda is undoubtedly more similar to bears, because it is not without reason that it is also called “bamboo bear.” She has a massive body that is completely covered with thick fur. Its length varies from 1.1 to 1.9 meters, and its weight ranges from 75 to 140 kilograms. The thick and short legs of this animal end in massive paws with large claws.
If you look closely at the sole, you can see that on it and near each toe there are peculiar pads that serve the animal to hold smooth and slippery bamboo stems.
Unlike a bear, this animal has a tail, the length of which reaches 13 cm, and teeth with a different structure. On the panda's premolars you can see protrusions and tubercles that are not found in any other species of bear, and its head is massive and blunt-faced, with large erect ears.
The description of this species of panda says that it has a white color with characteristic black spots near its eyes, black legs and a tail of the same color. And although she looks like a bear, some features of her anatomy have forced scientists to doubt this. In their opinion, the panda is a representative of the raccoon family, and some even identified it as a special class of mammals.
What does the small species of these interesting animals look like?
This species, according to scientists, belongs to the raccoons, since it has the same tail with striped colors, a similar muzzle, as well as the shape of the skull and the structure of the teeth. Although its discoverers were inclined to believe that the red panda is actually a cat with a fiery red color. This animal also has two subspecies - Western and Chinese.
This animal, unlike its larger relatives, has a body whose length reaches a maximum of 67 cm, with a tail up to 47 cm and a weight not exceeding 6 kg. Therefore, if you answer the question: “Is a panda a bear or not?”, then we can safely say that the small species of these animals with a red color is more related to raccoons than to bears.
Spreading
Giant pandas live in the mountains in the heart of China. The regions of Sichuan and Tibet are considered their home. Their entire life is spent in forests where mainly bamboo grows; they are located at an altitude of 1500-4600 m above sea level. This area is quite moderate climatic conditions and all seasons of the year are clearly expressed. In addition, these animals live in many centers and zoos, where they continue to be studied and researched. In captivity, their lifespan reaches 27 years, and in the wild it is even shorter.
It lives in China, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. She lives, like her large relative, in a mountainous area at an altitude of 4800 m. This small animal inhabits the forests of Assam, as well as the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan. This animal lives in 86 other zoos around the world.
Despite the fact that the large and small species differ significantly from each other in appearance and scientists believe that one panda is a bear and the other is a raccoon, they lead the same lifestyle.
Behavior
These animals mostly live alone. The only exceptions can be considered the mating season and the time of raising their cubs. Mature individuals live in an area of about five square meters, which is much smaller than that of bears. In order to indicate their presence, they can use marks with a specific odor.
The giant panda, unlike the small panda, is active at any time of the day or night. Her red-haired relative is leading night image life, and in daylight hours sleeps for days in the treetops, curled up in a ball and resting its head on its large striped tail.
Nutrition
Numerous and dense thickets Bamboo is food for both giant and red pandas. Thirty species of this plant make up approximately 99 percent of their diet. They also willingly eat all kinds of berries, fruits, seeds and acorns. Sometimes they can even hunt small birds, reptiles and rodents.
In captivity, they are fed the same bamboo, as well as biscuits and insect larvae. The panda is one of the few animals that can eat food in any position of its body, even lying down.
Reproduction
Individuals of the two species reach sexual maturity closer to five years, and begin to mate only at seven. Females during their mating season, which ranges from two days to a week, make loud sounds and actively emit a specific odor.
After this, pregnancy occurs, which lasts for these animals for an average of five months. Usually one or two naked cubs are born with a body weight of no more than 200 grams and a length of 14 to 16 cm, just like brown bears. Although scientists have not yet come to a clear conclusion about whether a panda is a bear or not, the reproduction process of these two animals is similar.
Offspring
At birth, their cubs, like all varieties of bears, are helpless and blind. The female raises her little puppies herself and treats them very carefully and with special care. For several days after their birth, she does not leave the hole for a minute, even to eat or drink. The mother puts her cubs to her breast fifteen times a day, and one feeding can last about half an hour.
A panda most often gives birth to twins, but after some time the female chooses the strongest baby from them and continues to take care of him, and the second one, accordingly, dies unattended. The lactation period for these animals lasts approximately 45 weeks, and the cubs remain with their mothers until they reach three years of age.
It turns out that for the first time, when scientists conducted research on great view of these animals, they could not understand for a long time who the panda is, what kind of animal it is. A little later they came to the conclusion that she was a raccoon, but only of enormous size.
After some time, other experts refuted this opinion, since with the help of a genetic test it was possible to establish that this species of animal is more related to bears.
As for red pandas, many scientists have generally recorded them as a marten-like species, which also consists of raccoons and skunks.
Although, according to most researchers, these two subspecies belong to different classes, they still have a certain similarity with each other. For example, both pandas have a sixth "pseudo-toe" located on their front paws. It is significantly larger than the other five. This part of the body is actually a carpal bone covered with skin. This structure helps animals better hold onto bamboo plants.
Conservation status
Unfortunately, pandas are on the brink complete disappearance, therefore they are included in the lists of the International Red Book. This happens for many reasons. A live red panda is not as interesting to people as its fur. Because of this, she was constantly hunted, especially in Nepal. But in Lately The number of this species began to gradually recover.
Giant pandas are also protected by law, according to which, the destruction of this animal will be punishable death penalty or life in prison.
Although this animal was discovered several centuries ago, and in 1912 even became the national treasure of the People's Republic of China (according to the legislation of this Republic), scientists still cannot come to a definite conclusion about whether a panda is a bear or a raccoon. Therefore, research on this animal continues to this day.
