Where do pandas live? Giant panda or bamboo bear. Habitats of giant pandas on the planet

Titles: Giant panda, giant panda, Tibetan mountain bear, bamboo bear.

Area: The giant panda is found only in the mountain forests of several western provinces of China (Sichuan, Gansu, Tibet). Previously, it also lived in mountain bamboo forests in Indochina and on the island of Kalimantan. The total range covers 29,500 km 2, but only 5,900 km 2 is the panda's habitat.

Description: The panda's body is massive, covered with thick fur. The legs are short and thick, with wide paws armed with strong claws. On the soles and at the base of each toe, bare pads are well developed, making it easier to hold the smooth bamboo stems while eating. Her feet, rounded and hairy at the bottom, are short and do not fully rest on the ground when walking. The giant panda's head is massive, blunt-faced, with large ears. The panda is distinguished from bears by its rather long (12 cm) tail and teeth structure. Of the 40 teeth, there are four false and two true molars at the top, and three false and three true molars at the bottom. The molars and premolars are wider and flatter than those of other bears, and they have developed extensive cusps and projections for grinding the tough bamboo when eating.
At external resemblance with the bear, the anatomy of the giant panda is so unusual that the panda was placed either in the raccoon family, then in the bear family, or in its own special family. This is a bear-like animal for a long time considered a "giant raccoon" due to common anatomical features with the red panda (which was considered a raccoon without reservation). However, ordinary Chinese peasants, who have long called the big panda a “polar bear” (literally - bei-shuang) or “bamboo bear,” turned out to be closer to the truth than taxonomists, who only recently realized that the big panda is still a bear.
Australian paleontologist E. Tennius, based on an analysis of the morphology, biochemistry, cardiology and ethology of the giant panda, showed that in 16 characteristics it is close to bears and only in five - to the red panda and other raccoons, and 12 characteristics are characteristic only of it alone. Tennius believed that the giant panda deserved to be allocated to a special family of pandas ( Ailuropodidae), which was proposed by R. Pokcock in 1921.
Molecular biological and cardiological studies of the giant panda, conducted by a group of American researchers, led to the conclusion that in the process of evolution, the branch of the giant panda separated from the line of development of bears about 25-18 million years ago - in the first half of the Miocene. Some common peculiar characteristics of the giant and red pandas do not appear to be explained by their common origin, and by parallel preservation of ancestral characteristics in the same natural conditions South-East Asia.

Color: The main color background of a giant panda is white. There are characteristic black spots ("spectacles") around the eyes. The legs are black, while the black coloring of the forelimbs merges with a wide “yoke” of the same color that encircles the body over the shoulders. The ends of the ears and the tip of the tail are also black.
There is an ancient Chinese story about how giant pandas got their unique coloring. A young girl who was a friend of these bears died and the pandas were heartbroken. They cried at the funeral and constantly rubbed their eyes with their paws. Thus, dark color their paw was moved to their eyes. The bears then hugged themselves out of grief and marked their ears, shoulders, and hind legs with black and colored themselves the way we see them today.

Size: The length of a giant panda reaches 1.2-1.8 m, on average - 1.65 m. Tail length - about 12 cm. Shoulder height - 65-70 cm.

Weight: From 70 to 125 kg, rarely up to 160 kg (average - 102.50 kg). Males weigh about 10 percent more than females (males weigh 85-125 kg, females 70-100 kg).

Lifespan: Maximum lifespan in captivity is 26 years. Life expectancy in nature is not precisely known, but appears to be approximately 14 years, with a maximum of 20 years.

Pandas are usually silent animals that prefer silence. But they seem to be able to bleat, making a sound similar to that produced by lambs or kids. This is a friendly sound, a greeting. When an animal is irritated, it can roar (though not at all like bears) or buzz. Panda puppies often whine and squeal. Pandas actively vocalize and social interactions. They "chirp" during mating and buzz in distress. A squeal indicates submission or pain. “Chomping” (quickly opening and closing the mouth so that the teeth are expressively shown to the partner) is a soft defensive threat.

Habitat: Giant pandas live in dense impenetrable bamboo forests at an altitude of 1200 to 4500 m above sea level, in very temperate climate with a pronounced change of seasons. Dense thickets of bamboo, reaching a height of 3-4 meters, provide the panda with shelter and food supplies. Throughout the year, these forests, often shrouded in heavy clouds, are characterized by heavy rain or dense haze.

Enemies: Today the giant panda has no natural enemies, but in the past there may have been, such as tigers. The biggest threat to the panda's survival right now is the loss and degradation of its habitat.

Food: Giant pandas are carnivores, but they have had to adapt to living and eating mostly on 30 species of bamboo (over 99% of their diet). The panda has become a narrow vegetarian and feeds on succulent young shoots and old stems, up to 13mm in diameter, and even the roots of bamboo, using its powerful jaws and strong teeth to crush the tough, fibrous bamboo.
The walls of the stomach are extremely muscular. The panda's esophagus and stomach are lined with layers of elastic mucous tissue to protect against bamboo slivers. Monotonous food has little nutritional value and is difficult to digest, and therefore the panda is forced to chew almost all its waking hours (which is 10-12 hours a day), moving through the bamboo thicket. To get enough nutrition they are forced to eat from 12 to 18 kg of bamboo per day. When digesting bamboo, they use an average of only 17% dry matter. Therefore, giant pandas have an extremely strict energy budget for their body. They travel little and usually only when they have depleted nearby food resources.
Bamboo - most interesting plant! Many types of bamboo grow incredibly fast - the culm of Japanese bamboo grows almost 1.2 m in a day! Bamboo, grown from seed, grows for many years to reach full size and maturity, gradually growing into an entire grove. Then the bamboo blooms and, having given seeds, dies, i.e. the whole grove is dying! At least 2-3 years are required for new shoots to form from the seed. So for all the animals who depend on bamboo: giant pandas, red pandas and humans - flower-decorated bamboo predicts deprivation for several years. Thus, the flowering of monocarpic bamboo species that began in the 70s of the 20th century and their death over large areas deprived pandas of food in a number of places and, as a result, between 1974 and 1976, 138 pandas died.
In addition to bamboo, giant pandas eat bulbs (such as iris and saffron), grasses, and sometimes insects, carrion, eggs, small rodents and other animals that they can catch.
In nature, giant pandas get most of their water from bamboo, which on average is half water. Young bamboo shoots are almost 90% water. But pandas need more water what bamboo can provide them with. So pandas drink almost every day fresh water from rivers and streams.
In zoos, giant pandas eat bamboo, sugar cane, thin rice porridge, special fiber-rich biscuits, carrots, apples and sweet potatoes.

Behavior: The giant panda lived in bamboo forests for several million years. It is an extremely specialized animal, with unique adaptations associated with eating bamboo. The panda holds the stems in its paw with the help of a “claw” - the “sixth” finger, opposed to the rest (in fact, it is not a finger, but an outgrowth of one of the metacarpal bones). This adaptation allows for easy and dexterous manipulation of the resilient bamboo stems. Pandas are also known for their upright feeding posture, which resembles a person sitting on the floor and which leaves their front paws free to better handle food.
They are active at any time of the day or night. Pandas do not hide in trees and do not make a permanent den, but in bad weather they sometimes take refuge in hollow trees, rock crevices and caves. Giant pandas are primarily terrestrial animals, although they are good climbers and capable of swimming. During the cold season, the panda is inactive; in snowy winters, it sometimes falls asleep. a short time in likeness hibernation, but unlike other bears, she does not sleep in winter. However, during the winter it moves down the slopes (usually no lower than 800 m) to reach places with fairly moderate and comfortable temperatures.
Many people find this animal not only attractive, but also a gentle, harmless animal, but in reality, giant pandas can be just as dangerous as any other bear. Thanks to her increased caution and secretive lifestyle, it is only occasionally possible to get a panda for the zoo, and even in the largest zoos in the world they are very rare, as indeed in their homeland.

Social structure: Mainly solitary except during mating and raising offspring. Giant pandas occupy a territory of 3.9-6.4 km2 (males have larger areas than females), which is much smaller than that of other bear species. In this case, the territories of males partially cover the territories of females. At the same time, territoriality in males is weakly expressed, while females vigorously defend their territory.

Reproduction: For giant pandas characterized by an indiscriminate mating system, with males competing for access to more than one adult female. When females are ready to mate, they increase scent marking activity and become more vocal. Males also compete with each other for access to a female who is ready to mate and conceive. The period when conception can occur is quite short and does not exceed 2-7 days.
The development of the embryo usually occurs with a delay in development; this period of rest can last from 1.5 to 4 months. Thanks to this, young people are born in the most favorable time. climatic conditions season.

Breeding season/period: Spring (March to May). Young pandas are born next winter, usually in January, according to other sources - in August-September.

Puberty: In the wild, pandas do not reach sexual maturity until they are at least 4.5 years old, but they actually begin breeding at around 7.5 years of age. In captivity, both sexes usually reach maturity earlier, at 5.5 or 6.5 years of age

Pregnancy: Ranges from 84-97 to 164-181 days, with an average of about 135 days.

Offspring: Usually 1-2, rarely 3 naked cubs are born, each weighing only 100-200 g and 15 - 17 cm long. Immediately after birth, the mother helps the helpless cub reach the nipple.
At birth, giant panda cubs, like all other bears, are blind and helpless, but unlike most bears, they are covered with a thin layer of fur.
The mother panda treats her little puppy very carefully, which she usually rocks in one paw like a cradle, hugging him closely to her chest. For several days after birth, the mother does not leave the den, not even leaving to eat or drink! The female breastfeeds the cub up to 14 times a day, and the duration of each feeding reaches 30 minutes.
Despite the fact that females often give birth to twins, soon after giving birth the mother chooses one, stronger baby, and the second, unattended, soon dies. Therefore, in zoos, keepers leave only one baby near the female, replacing him with another every few days. Thus, it is possible to feed both babies with nutritious mother's milk.
The cubs' eyes open at 3 weeks of age. Lactation lasts about 46 weeks.
Cubs stay with their mothers for one and a half to three years, so the interval between births is therefore usually 2 years. Mothers often play with their puppies.

Benefit/harm for humans: The panda population is closely related to bamboo abundance. Pandas were persecuted for their fur, which is highly prized (in Japan, the price of one skin reaches $176,000). Until recently, panda fur was used to make very valuable sleeping mats, as it was believed to have supernatural properties that help predict the future through dreams.
Sometimes pandas die when they fall into musk deer traps set by poachers.

Population/Conservation Status: The giant panda is in International IUCN Red List and is one of the rarest, poorly studied large animals, which is facilitated by a secretive lifestyle. It became known only in the middle of the 19th century, and naturalists first observed a living panda in nature only in 1913. In China, the giant panda is declared a national treasure. Therefore, in 1995, a Chinese farmer who shot a giant panda and tried to sell its skin was sentenced to life imprisonment.
A census conducted in 2004 estimated that the wild giant panda population included approximately 1,600 animals. About 140 pandas live in zoos. It breeds rarely in captivity and mostly in China.
The density of pandas within the 6000 km 2 of Chinese panda reserves averaged one live per 9.3-10.7 km 2 .

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The giant panda's habitat includes the mountainous regions of the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau, west-central China and southwest China. The giant panda lives mainly in Sichuan province. There are also small populations of this animal in the provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu. Before the start of active development of land for the needs Agriculture and deforestation, the giant panda lived in many low-lying areas of inland China.

Giant pandas live in mountainous areas, covered with bamboo forests in which it often rains. The altitude of these places ranges from 1200 to 3100 meters above sea level. One adult pair of pandas needs about 3 thousand hectares of bamboo forest for normal existence.

The giant panda's habitat has been significantly reduced due to the expansion of land converted into agricultural land and deforestation. Deforestation stopped after the Chinese government passed a law in 1998. Currently, to protect the remaining population of the giant panda, there are 50 reserves in China, with a total area of ​​more than 1 million hectares. The deterioration of the panda's living conditions is also affected by the separation of areas of its habitat due to economic activity person. Pandas experience food shortages if the bamboo in its particular territory does not grow well enough in a given year.

Protecting the giant panda's habitat indirectly helps protect entire ecosystems from destruction. In particular, measures to protect the panda's habitat are improving water quality in the area around the source of China's largest and most important river, the Yangtze. Ecotourism in these protected areas provides additional income for people living in these poor mountainous areas. Tourists, in turn, have the opportunity to see wild pandas in their natural environment a habitat. This strictly controlled form of tourism has minimal impact on the environment.

There are many opportunities in Chengdu to buy something original: Chinese or Tibetan-style souvenirs, brocade or embroidery, antiques or works of art. The giant panda is increasingly used as a symbol of China. This very cute and cute animal is not found in the wild anywhere else in the world. The most the best place in the world to observe the giant panda is the Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center in Chengdu.

Two people are called pandas different types mammals that live in China and India. The giant panda belongs to the bear family, and the red panda belongs to the marten-like superfamily.

Where does the giant panda live?

The habitat of the giant panda is the mountainous regions that are located in the heart of China: Sichuan and Tibet. In the Sichuan region, giant pandas have a typical black and white color. The Tibetan subspecies differs in both color and size. The bear's fur is brown and white, and in size it is significantly inferior to its relative from Sichuan province. Both subspecies live in high mountain regions at an altitude of 1300-3100 m above sea level. To see a giant panda, a tourist will have to overcome a very difficult and long haul. If you don’t want to wander through bamboo thickets, you can visit zoos around the world where pandas live. Or visit the panda research and breeding center in Chengdu, China.

Chengdu center besides employment scientific activities, works like national park. You can visit it any day of the week. In the center for pandas, all conditions have been recreated so that they feel like they are in their natural habitat.

You can also see the giant panda in zoos in Europe, the USA, Australia, China, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan.

In Europe, there are zoos with pandas in the following cities: Vienna in Austria, Madrid in Spain, Berlin in Germany, Saint-Aignan in France, Edinburgh in the UK.

You can see pandas in the USA in several zoos in Atlanta, San Diego, Memphis and the US National Zoo in Washington.

Where does the red panda live?

The red panda lives in four countries: China, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. Like the giant panda, the red panda is endangered and is listed in the Red Book. Although the animal is considered endangered in some regions of its habitat, the hunt for it continues. To prevent the species from disappearing, various activities are carried out to promote population growth.

Before telling where the panda lives, we must immediately mention that there are 2 completely different animals with the same name. The first is the giant panda, which belongs to one of the bear families and lives in China. The second is the red panda, which belongs to the marten-like species. You can meet it in China, India, Bhutan and Myanmar.

Where does the giant panda live?

Want to see a giant panda in its natural habitat? Then head to the mountainous regions of China. Bears living in the Sichuan region have the usual black and white color. Those found in Tibet are significantly smaller than their neighbors and have brown and white coats. Small populations of pandas are found in the Chinese provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu.

They all live high in the mountains, so to see them, a person needs to overcome not only a long, but also a difficult path. And for those who don’t want to bother themselves, the bears will be shown in Chengdu, where the center is located where they breed and study these animals.

A national park has been opened in the center of Chengdu, which welcomes hundreds of tourists from all over the world every day. Here we tried to recreate for pandas everything necessary for comfortable stay conditions. For a normal existence, a pair of adult pandas requires about 3,000 hectares of bamboo thickets. Therefore, in 1998, the country's government decided to ban the cutting down of bamboo forests.

You can meet giant pandas in zoos all over the world.

Where does the red panda live?

If we talk about the red panda, today these animals are listed in the Red Book, as they are in danger of complete extinction. Most of these animals live in the Himalayas. In China and Myanmar, where the panda lives, you can find the Staian subspecies, and in Nepal and Bhutan, the western red panda is found.

This type of animal is called a taxonomic mystery, since outwardly it looks like a raccoon, although it has all the habits of a bear. Red pandas live primarily in coniferous or deciduous forests. The red panda uses bamboo shoots for food, as well as for gathering it.

Despite the government ban, hunting for these animals still continues to obtain fur.

How long do pandas live?

In its natural habitat, a giant panda can live 20 years, and in captivity, their life expectancy does not exceed 14 years. According to various estimates, at the beginning of the 21st century there are wildlife no more than 1000 individuals remain.

Concerning red panda, then in nature it can live no more than 10 years, while in humans, a bear can live up to 14 years. Scientists have not been able to calculate how many of them live in nature. And there are about 300 bears in zoos around the world.

These animals have a number of features, which is why scientists love to study and identify them. Interesting Facts from their lives:

1. It turns out that the panda eats all the time he is awake, which is about 13 hours a day.
2. Due to the fact that the panda chews all the time, it manages to process a huge amount of food in a day. However, her body absorbs only 17% of total number eaten.
3. There is an opinion that they eat exclusively bamboo. However, this is not quite true. In the absence of their favorite treat, they can easily eat grass, roots, tree bark, various root vegetables and mushrooms. Their delicacy is honey from wild bees, which they can get by climbing trees. Extremely rarely, they can catch fish or attack small mammals.
4. A female panda reaches sexual maturity at 5, sometimes 8 years. Their pregnancy lasts 95-160 days, after which 1 or 2 babies are born. If two are born, the second one always dies, since the she-bear will take care exclusively of her first-born.

Pandas are called Asian mammals of the carnivorous order. There are two species of these animals, which are somewhat similar in appearance and lifestyle.

But they belong to different families. Where do pandas live? What is their life expectancy?

Where do pandas live: big and small?

Big panda

This animal looks like a bear. It inhabits dense bamboo forests in western China. Many years systematic position mammal caused controversy regarding its assignment to one or another family. The giant panda was classified as a raccoon, bear or panda. But the data molecular research confirmed the closeness of the species to bears. It is believed that the ancestors separated about twenty-five million years ago. Therefore, they decided to classify it as a member of the bear family. Hence the other name - bamboo bear.

The giant panda has a charming and easily recognizable appearance. Her stocky build and clumsiness make her resemble a bear. The body length of the animal is one and a half meters. Weight reaches one hundred and sixty kilograms. The main color of the fur is white, sometimes with a yellowish tint. And the “glasses” around the eyes, ears, lips, nose, limbs and shoulder “collar” are dark brown or black. The unique appearance ensured the popularity of this beast.

On the front legs of a mammal there is a resemblance thumb. These are processes of the carpal bones, overgrown with fleshy pads. She uses them to hold bamboo shoots while eating.

The animal can stand on its hind legs, but always moves on all four. The gait, like that of its ancestor, is swaying and clubfooted. True, during a chase the animal can switch to a clumsy trot. But he can’t keep up the pace and gets tired quickly.

The giant panda is excellent at climbing trees. She easily climbs to the very top and sits there. Having settled down in the branches of bamboo, the animal holds the shoots of the plant with its front paws and methodically peels off the leaves and bark with its teeth. Subsequently, it slowly chews the peeled stem. Such a leisurely meal in a sitting position takes the animal from ten to twelve hours a day.

The reason she has to eat so much is because digestive system absorbs only seventeen percent of food. In addition to bamboo, animals willingly feast on grass, flowers, mushrooms, roots, small mammals and even carrion. Like bears, these bespectacled animals sometimes climb into bees' nests.

But giant pandas do not live where the polar bear or its brown brother lives. A special subfamily of bears is found in dense thickets of bamboo on the Tibetan Plateau, in the Chinese provinces of Gansu, Sichuan and Shaanxi. Animals are observed at an altitude of two and a half to three and a half thousand meters above sea level. Sometimes they go down to winter time, up to eight hundred meters above sea level.

Habitat area – thirty thousand square meters. But it is assumed that the species occupies an area of ​​no more than six thousand square meters. Every animal in native forest marks its own territory, leaving secretions of odorous glands on border trees. Animals try to avoid each other, preferring a solitary lifestyle.

Mammals are awake from dusk to dawn, and during the day they rest and sleep in a secluded place, hidden among the rocks or in the hollow of a large tree.

Little panda

Other names: red panda, fire fox, cat bear. The first written mention of the animal dates back to the thirteenth century. But in Europe they learned about it only in the nineteenth century. The official opening took place thanks to the English general and naturalist Thomas Hardwicke. In 1821, he collected material in the English colonies.

The red panda is a taxonomic enigma. By appearance they resemble a raccoon, but in their habits and movements they resemble a bear. They were first classified as members of the raccoon family due to morphological similarities in the skull, teeth, tail and other parts of the body. The animal was then moved to the bear family. The basis is DNA similarity. Today, most researchers classify the fire fox as a raccoon.

The red panda has an elongated body, a fluffy tail, a very wide head and a short sharp muzzle. The coat is smooth, thick, very long and soft. On the upper side of the body, the fur has a dark red tint, turning into golden yellow on the back. The lower body and legs are painted glossy black. The fur on the chin and cheeks is white. A rusty-red stripe runs from the eyes to the corners of the mouth. The inside of the ears is covered with white long hair, and outside – dark red. The long red tail has lighter rings. This color makes the fire fox invisible among the red lichens growing in its habitat.

The animal's legs are strong and short. The feet are hairy, which allows the animal to run on snow and ice. Short fingers equipped with partially retractable, strongly curved claws. Like the giant panda, the animal has an “extra” toe on its front paw - an enlarged radial bone. This structure of the legs allows the animal to hold slender branches of bamboo.

The size of the red fox resembles a large one domestic cat. The body length is from fifty to sixty-five centimeters, the tail is from twenty to forty centimeters. Average weight- six kilograms.

The species' habitat is concentrated in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China, northern Burma, Nepal, Bhutan and north-eastern India. The animal's ancestors were much more widespread. Their remains were found in North America and Eastern Europe.

Small pandas prefer tall forests, which consist of coniferous and deciduous trees. In the lower tier there are rhododendron and bamboo. These mountain bamboo forests are located in a temperate climate, at an altitude of 2000-4000 meters above sea level. Most Every year the forests are shrouded in clouds, thanks to which mosses and lichens actively grow. Precipitation is retained for as long as possible in the tightly intertwined root system large quantity vegetation.

The main food of the red panda is young leaves and shoots of bamboo. Moreover, she, like her big comrade, eats about thirteen hours a day.

How long do pandas live?

Giant pandas in the wild live for fourteen to twenty years; in captivity, animals lived up to fourteen years. Today these animals are in danger of extinction and are listed in the international Red Book. According to experts, at the beginning of the twentieth century, about a thousand individuals remained in nature.

The fact is that when the animal opened up to the world, it began massacres. The goal is fur of unusual color. Today, killing a giant panda in China carries very severe penalties. But people are destroying bamboo forests. And this is the main habitat of animals. Considering them not very longer duration life, one cannot expect high population growth.

A red panda lives about fourteen years in captivity. The average lifespan of an animal in the wild is eight to ten years. Natural enemies the animal has little. The main danger for the red panda is the destruction of its habitat. For this reason, the species has been assigned the status of “Endangered”. Deforestation deprives animals of a place to live and a source of food. Fortunately, red pandas breed well in captivity. About three hundred individuals are kept in zoos around the world. Behind last years the same number were born in artificial conditions.

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