Top 31 Fun Facts About Pandas

Fun Facts About Pandas

Fun Facts About Pandas: For more than 20 million years, Pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) have been residing in the sub-alpine and western regions of China. Pandas can be spotted in other regions of the globe as well. However, they have been declining to almost extinction status.

Pandas also named as big bear cat in Chinese, is one of the most amazing animals on the face of the earth. With absolute cuteness and adorability, the Panda is the most endearing wildlife across the globe today.

Giant pandas are given the name based on their exceptionally massive girth compared to other bears. Panda possesses a characteristic white and black hue, providing a camouflaging feature under its natural habitat.

As a stellar-attracted animal species, pandas have fascinating specifics that make them the most magnificent treasured animal of all time. We will explore the top 31 fun facts about pandas on this page.

31 Fun Facts About Pandas

Here are the top interesting facts about pandas covering all aspects of their lives:

1. Massive Panda Size

massive sizeDamp and dewy thickly populated forests are the best-residing place for this scarce mammal.

According to the National Geographic, the immense girth of giant pandas owes to their size weighing about 136 kg with 5-6 feet in height.

2. Endangered Panda

 Panda endangeredThe following fact about pandas is that there has been a significant drop of species of Panda all over the earth, which pushed this bamboo bear a near extinction status (currently Vulnerable as per IUCN classification), with just 1600 pandas in the world alive to date.

A minority of giant pandas are held in reserves in safari parks of the Western Domain.

3. Gobbler Panda

panda gobblerIt is estimated that an average panda eats for about half a time during 24 hours in a day (almost 16 hours). The chubby pandas are usually found eating most of the time.

Since pandas keep bamboo as their primary source of nutrition, which lacks the high-calorie content? So, they eat a lot to nourish their huge body.

Suggested Reading: Just like pandas, Golden Bamboo Lemurs heavily relies on bamboos too!

4. Panda in Olympics

Another interesting fact about Panda is that in the Olympics of 2022, Panda was one of the animals represented and designated as mascots of the Olympics among four other animals, namely Fish, Fuwa, Tibetian Antelope, and Sand Martin.

5. Controversial Classification

panda and raccoonThe matter of putting pandas under appropriate classification has been quite disagreeable among biologists. Though relatively similar to bears, they have been classified as raccoons also.

However, they were finalized to be grouped along with bears specifically closely related to bears of the South American region.

6. Bamboo Digesting Stomach

panda digestionBig bamboo eaters need a big bamboo digesting stomach to grasp hard bamboo. The stomach of pandas can correctly digest the tough bamboo wood possessing more muscles than a normal animal stomach.

The inner surface of the stomach has the superficial protection of a mucus layer to prevent the stomach lining from rupturing by the sharp bamboo fragments.

7. Pandas Are Loners

panda lonerThe song “I’m so lonely I have nobody” is the best fit for pandas. Panda likes to live alone.

According to National Geographic, the presence of another panda is strongly disliked in the territory by the owner panda.

However, it would end up in a hitting dispute if the two encounters a close encounter.

8. Marking Territory

 Panda marking territoryPandas like to mark their land of ownership by accentuating the limits through a sticky, waxy secretion. The secretion acts as a marker for territory identification, even recognized by other pandas.

Pandas use this secretion for the identification of gender and the purpose of recognizing the social status of other giant pandas.

9. Presence of Pseudo-Bones

 Panda pseudo thumbPandas have an enhanced ability to grasp the food with their paws due to enlarged wrist bones that act as an extra thumb for handling the bamboos.

This extra bone of their wrist is termed pseudo-bone as not an original thumb but an extension of the wrist of front paws.

10. Maximum Bite Potency

panda biteBeing carnivores, pandas can exhibit extreme bite power more than any other carnivore. This extreme bite force in pandas owes to the presence of strong muscles meant for chewing hard bamboo layers.

Panda has an opposing thumb like Gorillas which helps them to grip bamboo stalks efficiently.

11. Carnivore That Eats Plants

panda carnivore eating plantsThough carnivorous, pandas primarily like to feed on bamboo sprouts and leaves. Since bamboo does not run away like most carnivores’ foods, it suits the lazy, sluggish nature of pandas.

The other panda diet consists of eating other small animals, fish, and other vegetation but eating bamboo always remains the all-time favorite.

12. Fertility Period In Female Pandas

female panda FlickrNaturally, female pandas ovulate just once a year and give birth to two panda cubs after an incubation period of almost five months.

In the uninhabited environment, only the stronger baby pandas survive. However, in relief centers of Panda rehabilitation, the survival chances for both the cubs are increased.

13. Panda’s Reproductive Potential

panda reproductiveThough being considered extinct, pandas bear a fantastic reproductive potential. Their presence on the earth could evidence it for more than 20 million years.

Now confined to just certain parts of Central China, they were earlier supposed to be present across the Chinese territory.

14. Panda’s Broad Teeth

panda teeth factsThe carnivorous pandas bear wide and horizontal molar teeth. This makes them able to chop down the shoots and wood of the bamboo tree.

In a total of possessing 42 teeth that arrive in two sets in their lifespan (similar to humans), giant pandas can easily peel off the bamboo in less than a minute!

15. Panda & Bamboo Love

panda bamboo lovePandas have a massive crush on bamboos. It could starve out in the absence of bamboo trees.

The life cycle of bamboo is quite long, extending over almost 120 years.

This makes it difficult for pandas to survive without bamboo.

16. Hydrophilic Nature

Panda Being HydrophilicApart from bamboos, pandas also have a strong fondness for living in close vicinity of water. Pandas are remarkable swimmers and live delightfully in the presence of water.

That is the reason they are found in dense, bamboo forests of Chinese wild making it an ideal habitat for their survival.

17. I’m A Shy Buddy

panda shy flickrPandas are introvert buddies! They prefer to avoid mingling up quickly and require time to come at ease.

This makes them shy and resilient animals usually confided from other species and humans.

18. The Best Climbers

panda climbing treePandas are very good at climbing heights. With an ability to climb heights of about 12000-13000 feet, giant pandas love to make their homes on slopes of mountains for feeding purposes during the summer seasons.

19. Panda Captivity Birth

panda captive birthUnder confinement, female pandas give birth to more panda cubs as compared to when living in the wild environment.

Panda mothers give birth to twins at an increased rate under stay in rehabilitation centers.

20. Panda Loves Metals

 Panda loving metalPanda is believed to be fond of licking metals like iron and copper.

Under captivity, any food given to them in utensils of metals like iron or copper, they seem to relish it by cleaning it up with the help of their tongue.

21. Panda Rule: More Food & More Dumps!

Panda DumpsSince pandas are big eaters, it is expected that they would produce a lot of waste material. About 10- 30 kg of waste is produced by an average panda in a single day.

Scientists have been using the smell of waste to track down pandas in the wild areas.

22. Panda’s Lined Neck

panda neck liningPandas feed on sharp bamboo parts. Naturally, pandas have a distinctive covering over their throat to protect against sharp edges and splinters of bamboo trees.

23. Why Panda Fur Black & White?

panda black and whitePandas possess alternative colored skin with superficial fur black and white. The white fur blends in snowy habitats, and black fur creates a masking impact in forests and heat-retaining capability during the winter.

This adaptation is very similar to how tigers camouflage with their stripes.

24. Reliance On Spatial Memory

 Panda eyesPandas are believed to rely more the memory regarding the judgment of location somewhat depending on visual memory.

Pandas do not have a strong vision, and their memory is primarily based upon relying on spatial memory ( i.e., judgment by the ability to remember the location)

25. Expensive For Zoos

pandas in zoosAbout 100 pandas are believed to be living in different zoos of the world today. Pandas may cost up to millions of dollars to be retained in zoos which are 2-5 times more expensive than keeping elephants in zoos.

Giant pandas are found in only scare numbers in zoos of the US having retaining fees of almost million dollars per annum.

26. Penalty For Panda Carnage

Panda PoachingBeing regarded as a national treasure in China, regulations are firmly followed in case of any killing and slaying of panda species.

About 20 years ago, the penalty for killing pandas was a death sentence. However, the punishment has been reduced to imprisonment of 20 years.

27. Types of Pandas

Types of PandasAccording to biological classification, there are 3 types of pandas namely the red Panda (Ailurus fulgens), the black and white giant Panda, and the smaller brown and fawn sub-species the Qinling Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis).

Some argue that the red Panda is loosely related to raccoons.

28. Panda’s Walking Fact

Panda Walking FactPandas are similar to bears and human beings when it comes to the walking style.

The soles of their feet touch the ground wholly in contrast to other animals like horses, dogs, and cats, usually walking on the tips of their feet. They are termed as plantigrade mammals.

29. Do Panda Hibernate?

Do Pandas Hibernate?Pandas do not hibernate unlike the most other types of bears in the bear family. Before the winter months start, pandas typically migrate from their mountain caves to places where warmer temperatures prevail.

That is where they would find pounds of bamboo to munch all winter long!

Panda in WWF logoIn 1961, the British natural history expert and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) founder Sir. Peter Scott got the idea of using a female Panda from the London Zoo as the logo for WWF.

As the black-patched eyes of the Panda looked very appealing and easy to draw with just black and white colors, the WWF decided to keep Panda in their logo since then.

31. Panda Cub Facts

panda cubInterestingly at birth, panda cubs are hairless and typically a size of a stick of butter. The mother panda carries the cub with her paws and cradles it on her chest.

Pandas are an amazingly adaptive animal with excellent evolutionary potential. They have been surviving the odds of the earth for billions of years. Their struggle for existence always intrigues that whether the decline in their species owes to man-made interventions or it is just a part and process of natural phenomena?

Probably, time would reveal the tale, but this beautifully innocent creature needs to be seen on the face of the earth!

Out of all these interesting facts about pandas, which one do you like the most? Share your comments in the comment section below.

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BioExplorer.net. (2024, March 18). Top 31 Fun Facts About Pandas. Bio Explorer. https://www.bioexplorer.net/interesting-facts-about-pandas.html/.
BioExplorer.net. "Top 31 Fun Facts About Pandas" Bio Explorer, 18 March 2024, https://www.bioexplorer.net/interesting-facts-about-pandas.html/.
BioExplorer.net. "Top 31 Fun Facts About Pandas" Bio Explorer, March 18 2024. https://www.bioexplorer.net/interesting-facts-about-pandas.html/.

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