All About Giant Pandas ( Page # 3 )

This is a seven month old giant panda cub. A giant panda cub sometimes begins eating bamboo at about this age. However they continue to nurse few a few more months. Giant panda cubs stay with their mothers for at least 18 months or longer.

The survival of giant panda cubs is totally dependent on the skill of the mother in both protecting them and teaching them the basics of what to eat, where and how to get it, how to cope with danger and all the other skills of living in the wild. Isn't this seven month old giant panda bear cub adorable?

Cradling the newborn cub in her forepaws, the mother will hold the cub so that it is able to nurse similar to a human mother.

It is believed that only about 1,000 giant panda are left in the wild. There are only 7 to 10 giant pandas in America, and just about any given time, and all of those are owned by China. That is not very many, especially when you consider they are not always able to get to where other pandas are because of human populated areas are in between the few pockets of wild pandas.

What Is The Social Structure For Giant Pandas?

Adult giant pandas are generally solitary, but they do communicate periodically through scent marks, calls, and occasional meetings.

Giant Panda babies are called cubs. Cubs stay with their mothers from one and a half to three years.

Giant pandas seem to have no permanent den and do not hibernate, although they shelter in the winter in dens or hollow trees.

Often two giant panda cubs may be born, but only one survives. The young giant panda cubs can cry loudly for help and require great care from the mothers. In the endangered giant panda species losses of young are a serious problem in the recovery and management of giant-panda populations.

The giant panda reaches breeding maturity between 4 and 10 years of age. Mating usually takes place in the spring, and 3 to 5 months later, one or two cubs weighing 3 to 5 ounces each is born in a sheltered den. Usually only one cub survives. The eyes open at 1-1/2 to 2 months and the cub becomes mobile at approximately 3 months of age.

The giant panda communicates with many sounds. I have heard there are about 11 known sounds that the giant panda makes. Some of the giant panda's sounds are:

BLEAT - for social or friendly feelings
Chomp, Snort or Huff is also for friendly feelings
Growls and roars are vocalizations of aggression
Squeal and Honk is for Distress or Worry
Moans, Barks, Yips and Chirps are made for different reasons.

Another key form of communication between giant pandas is with chemicals called pheromones which are released by large glands near their tails.

Giant Pandas only digest about 18-20% of the bamboo that they eat. Much of the water that the giant panda gets comes from the food it eats. However they still need to drink water every day. Also they loose much of their water in their feces.

giant panda cubs The giant panda's disconnected range has created six isolated populations of this highly endangered species. The total number of giant pandas in the wild is now about 1,000. Because giant pandas are restricted to a small area of western China, their status may be the most precarious of all the species of bears.

Do you know any Giant Panda Lovers? Need a cool gift? A Christmas gift? A birthday gift? Here are some fun giant paned gifts. Each of these panda gifts are available in a variety of styles, colors, and styles. They are also available with a variety of different panda photos. Aprons, tote bags, buttons, caps, greeting cards, magnets, mouse pads, mugs, key chains. pet shirts, postcards, stickers, t-shirts, boxer shorts