Panda

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colspan=2 style="text-align: center; background-color: transparent" | Giant panda
File:Ailuropoda melanoleuca sitting 2.JPG
A giant panda at the Wolong National Nature Reserve
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
colspan=2 style="min-width:15em; text-align: center; background-color: transparent" | Scientific classification
Missing taxonomy template ([//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?action=edit&title=Template:taxonomy/Ailuropoda&preload=Template:Taxonomy/preload fix]):	Ailuropoda
Species	Template:Taxonomy/Ailuropoda A. melanoleuca
colspan=2 style="text-align: center; background-color: transparent" | Binomial name
Template:Taxonomy/Ailuropoda Ailuropoda melanoleuca (David, 1869)

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), also known as the panda bear, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterized by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The giant panda is a folivore, with bamboo shoots and leaves making up more than 99% of its diet. Pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents, or carrion.

Description

The giant panda has a distinctive black and white coat, with black fur around its eyes, ears, and across its body. Adult pandas measure around 1.2 to 1.9 meters (4 to 6 feet) long, including a tail of about 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches), and weigh between 70 and 100 kg (154 to 220 lb), with males being 10–20% larger than females.

Habitat and Distribution

Giant pandas are native to the mountain ranges in central China, primarily in Sichuan, but also in neighboring provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu. They inhabit broadleaf and coniferous forests with dense understories of bamboo, at elevations between 1,200 and 3,100 meters (4,000 and 10,200 ft).

Diet

Although classified as a carnivore, the giant panda's diet is primarily herbivorous, consisting almost entirely of bamboo. They have a highly specialized digestive system that allows them to process bamboo, but they still derive little energy and protein from it. As a result, they must consume 12 to 38 kg (26 to 84 lb) of bamboo daily to meet their energy needs.

Reproduction

Giant pandas have a very low reproductive rate, which is one of the reasons they are considered vulnerable. Females ovulate only once a year, in the spring, and the window for conception is only 2 to 3 days. After a gestation period of 95 to 160 days, a female panda gives birth to one or two cubs, though usually only one survives.

Conservation

The giant panda is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. Conservation efforts have been successful in increasing the population of wild pandas, with the latest estimates suggesting there are over 1,800 individuals in the wild. Conservation strategies include habitat preservation, anti-poaching measures, and captive breeding programs.

Cultural Significance

The giant panda is a national symbol of China and is often used in international diplomacy. It is also the symbol of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Also see

• Red panda
• Bamboo
• Conservation biology
• Endangered species

References

Conservation status by IUCN Red List category
Extinct
Extinct (EX) Extinct in the Wild (EW)	(list) (list)
Threatened
Critically Endangered (CR) Endangered (EN) Vulnerable (VU)	(list) (list) (list)
Lower Risk
Near Threatened (NT) Conservation Dependent (CD) Least Concern (LC)	(list) (list)
Other categories
Data Deficient (DD) Not Evaluated (NE)	(list)
Related topics International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) IUCN Red List NatureServe status Lists of organisms by population
Comparison of Red List classes above and NatureServe status below