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 Giant
pandas share some similar characteristics with bears.
They also share some characteristics with raccoons. But scientists believe them to
be most closely related to bears.
Many people find giant pandas to be cute. But they can be as dangerous as any other bear!
Giant pandas are about 1.2-1.5 meters tall and weigh 75-160 kilograms (Males are larger than females). They have a thick coat of black and white hair.
They are found only in the bamboo forests in China.
Pandas are usually found in the mountains
at about 3,000 meters above sea level. Wild pandas spend much of their day resting, feeding, and seeking food.
Giant pandas do not sleep during the winter. Instead, they come down to
warmer places where they can find food. Pandas live mainly on the ground. But
they can climb. They feed mainly on
bamboo. They have large molar teeth and strong jaw muscles for crushing tough bamboo. They also eat
other plants and small animals.
Giant pandas reach breeding maturity between 4 and 8
years of age. Female pandas can have a baby only once a year in the
spring. They give birth between 95 and 160 days after mating. They may give birth to two young,
but usually only one survives. Giant panda cubs are tiny at birth, weighing only around
100 grams. They begin to walk at about 3-4 months. They begin to eat
bamboo at about 5-6 months. At about 18 months of age, they leave their mother.
Today, the giant panda is endangered. There are only about 1,600 left
in the wild. About 160 pandas live in zoos around the world. |
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