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No, this article is not about the Bored Pandas, though thank you for your interest. We can’t believe ourselves that it took us so long to write an article about the fluff balls of cuteness that gave us our name. But as they say, better late than never, so we went ahead and collected a bunch of interesting panda facts.

There has been a lot of argument around whether a giant panda is a bear or belongs to another family of animals altogether. Scientists confirm that a panda is, in fact, a bear, that’s why it is also often called a panda bear. 

If there was an official ranking for the most adorable animal on the internet, the black and white teddy bears would definitely make it into the top five. Because let’s be honest, have you ever managed to scroll past cute panda pictures without going “Aww!” Yeah, thought so. Watching pandas in real life is even more fun. They might have the reputation of slow and clumsy animals, but in the right conditions, they do know how to entertain themselves. Their younglings, also known as panda cubs, are full of mischief at any time of the day when they are not munching on bamboo or taking a nap.

So if you love pandas as much as we do, head over to the facts below to learn all about pandas and their cute ways. Do you know any other facts you want to share with us? Tell us in the comments! 

#1

There Are Two Giant Panda Subspecies

Brown and white Panda eating grass

Giant pandas may be seen in Qinling and Sichuan. Only 18.5 percent of giant pandas are found in the Qinling region. The giant pandas' appearance, colors, and body shapes differ between Sichuan and the Qinling Mountains because to differences in the soil, temperature, and vegetation in each region.
The Sichuan big panda has a head that resembles a bear, whereas the Qinling huge panda has a smaller skull and broader fangs, giving it more of a catlike appearance.
The two pandas share the same origin, but they are secluded from one another by a vast river, mountains, and human activity. According to paleontologists, they lost touch 50,000 years ago, at which point they started evolving and reproducing on their own.

Science Bulletin , AilieHM Report

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BOTW PANDA
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*Panda uses andcestry and finds out that his 1.7e*3 removed cousin is a subspecies of panda he had n idea existed*

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    #2

    Pandas Are Loners

    Panda on top of a wooden structure

    The giant panda lives alone. They have their own area in the wild, and they defend it from other pandas. That's because big pandas eat bamboo, which eliminates the necessity for coordinated hunting. To achieve their nutritional requirements, they must consume a lot of bamboo. Conflict over access to adequate bamboo would prevent giant pandas from coexisting peacefully in groups, which would be detrimental to their overall survival.
    A panda typically need its own bamboo forest, which is 3–8 square kilometers (1-3 square miles) in size, to exist.

    livescience.com Report

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    #3

    Pandas Need At Least 2 Different Bamboo Species In Their Range To Avoid Starvation

    Panda eating a bamboo

    science.org Report

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    #4

    Giant Pandas Are No Longer Endangered

    Panda sniffing a tree on the ground

    Their number has increased to about 2,200 as a result of conservation initiatives to safeguard giant pandas. There are now 1,864 giant pandas living in the wild and 422 of them were born in captivity. This has changed their threat level from "endangered" to "vulnerable".

    worldwildlife.org Report

    #5

    Giant Pandas Spend 10-16 Hours A Day Feeding, Mainly On Bamboo

    Panda sitting and smiling

    careanimal.com Report

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    Saggi
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Again, this is sounding a hell lot like my life and I don’t like it.

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    #6

    The Giant Panda’s Scientific Name Is Ailuropoda Melanoleuca, Which Means “Black And White Cat-Foot”

    Panda eating grass

    Armand David Report

    #7

    Adult Pandas Are About 150cm Tall

    Panda walking on rocks

    wwf.panda.org Report

    #8

    Pandas Can Swim And Even Climb Trees

    Panda chilling in the tree

    Giant pandas are superb tree climbers and swimmers. Giant panda babies begin to climb about 5 months old, often by climbing on their mother.

    bestofpanda.com Report

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    #9

    Aside From Bamboo, Pandas Eat Eggs And Rodents Too

    Panda looking down to the ground

    A panda's diet is 99% vegetarian, consisting primarily of bamboo roots, stems, shoots, and leaves. However, because they have a carnivorous digestive system, the remaining 1% of their diet might include eggs, small animals, and carrion. Pandas have also been observed foraging on pumpkin, kidney beans, wheat, and domestic pig chow in farms.

    a-z-animals.com/ Report

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    BOTW PANDA
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So tell me again why we can't have pandas as rodent population police?

    #10

    Unlike Other Bears, Pandas Do Not Hibernate

    Panda sitting and eating a branch

    Because of their bamboo-based diet, giant pandas cannot store enough fat to hibernate through the winter.
    The cold is not a fear for pandas, though. They may be seen strolling through bamboo forests covered in heavy snow even in temperatures as low as -4°C (25°F).

    wwf.panda.org Report

    #11

    A Panda Year Is Roughly Equivalent To Three Human Years

    Panda laying on the back and eating a branch

    In terms of lifespan, a panda year is comparable to around three human years. Giant pandas may live up to 25 or 30 years in captivity and 18 to 20 years in the wild. The 38 years and four months old giant panda known as Xinxing (also known as "New Star") lived at the Chongqing Zoo (1982–2020). That is the same as 115 years in human years.

    wral.com Report

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    #12

    Cubs Are Well Protected In Their First Month

    Mommy Panda playing with a her kid

    The distinctive black-and-white markings of the giant panda serve two purposes: concealment and communication. The panda's face, neck, belly, and rump are all white to help it conceal in snowy environments. The dark arms and legs help it camouflage in the shade.

    nationalgeographic.com Report

    #14

    Pandas Sometimes Do Handstands When They Wee

    Panda sitting in a tree

    Pandas may often climb a tree backwards with their hindfeet until they're in a full handstand upside down, allowing them to leave their smell higher up.

    bestofpanda.com Report

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    SaneMinotaur (she/her)
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would suggest they cartwheel instead, to increase the surface area of their smell, instead of just the height.

    #15

    Panda Have Slits As Pupils, Like Cats

    Panda sitting near tall grass

    One feature of Panda Bears that gives them the nickname "Cat-foot" is that their eyes are slits like cat eyes. They have slits for pupils rather than spherical pupils like other bears. This adaptation allows them to see well at night. This is advantageous since they are constantly looking for food, even at night.

    wwf.org.uk Report

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    #16

    Giant Pandas Can Poop 40 Times A Day

    Panda sitting and smiling

    Other animals' food stays in the stomach for more than a day, whereas bamboo in the intestines of giant pandas only stays for 8 to 12 hours, with the shortest bamboo shoots. In the panda home, you may observe pandas eating and pooping at the same time.

    bambooclub.us Report

    #17

    Pandas Have 6 "Fingers"

    Panda laying and eating a tree

    The sixth "finger" of a panda resembles a human thumb. In reality, it is an unique wrist bone or opposable paw heel with powerful muscles but no moveable joints that serves the same purpose as a thumb and can hold food.

    worldwildlife.org Report

    #18

    Pandas Are Found In Thick Bamboo Forests, High Up In The Mountains Of Central China

    Panda sitting and eating bamboo

    wwf.panda.org Report

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    #19

    Pandas Use Scent To Mark Their Territory

    Panda leaning on the rock and eating bamboo

    Giant pandas use a variety of methods to mark their territory, including rubbing their smell glands on tree bark and peeing on it. A typical guideline among pandas is that they are stronger the higher they can place their scent marks on a tree.

    livescience.com Report

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    BOTW PANDA
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Reminds me of my dog, who once walked on the rim of a small creek bridge, then peed on it. Goofball.

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    #21

    Female Pandas Give Birth To One Or Two Cubs Every Two Years

    Two Pandas sitting and eating bamboos

    Giant panda cubs can spend up to three years with their moms before venturing out on their own.

    nationalzoo.si.edu Report

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    #22

    Pandas Will Abandon A Child If They Have Twins

    Three Pandas playing on a wooden construction

    While pandas in captivity are more likely to produce twins, wild pandas often only have one child. If a mother panda has two babies in the wild, she will only feed the one she perceives as being stronger. The other is left on its own to manage.
     
    A newborn cub is incredibly frail, which is why this is the case. At roughly 12 months of age, cubs begin eating bamboo, but up until that point, they are entirely reliant on their mother. Therefore, in the wild, mother pandas lack the milk and energy needed to care for two babies.

    bbcearth.com , Raki_Man Report

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    #23

    Spring Is The Mating Season For Pandas

    Panda eating a bamboo in the forest

    Only two to three days each time, in March to May on average each year, the female giant pandas go into heat. An average pregnancy lasts five months.
     
    While male giant pandas would leave scent markers as a sign to attract female giant pandas, female giant pandas will make distinctive noises like baa, dog bark, or cow bark during their reproductive time in the wild.

    nationalzoo.si.edu Report

    #24

    Giant Pandas And Red Pandas Are Not Closely Related

    Red Panda and Panda chilling in a tree

    Despite a similar name, giant pandas belong to the bear family Ursidae, whereas red pandas are the sole extant members of their taxonomic family, Ailuridae.

    nationalzoo.si.edu , 江戸村のとくぞう Report

    #25

    Giant Pandas Can Experience Pseudopregnancy

    Panda walking

    Instead of giving birth at the conclusion of a pseudopregnancy, which imitates a true pregnancy, the hormones and behaviors of a giant panda revert to normal. There are estimates that Mei Xiang of Smithsonian's National Zoo had at least six false pregnancies.

    nationalzoo.si.edu , CEphoto, Uwe Aranas Report

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    #26

    Most Giant Panda Cubs In The World Leave For China Before They Turn 4

    Baby Panda in a tree

    The majority of giant pandas in the world are on loan from China, and cubs born outside of China must be transferred to the Chinese breeding program in order to increase the gene pool.

    npr.org , 江戸村のとくぞう Report

    #28

    Smithsonian's National Zoo's First Giant Pandas Were Ling-Ling And Hsing-Hsing

    Panda sitting and eating a tree branch

    After First Lady Patricia Nixon expressed her admiration for them at a banquet in Beijing, China, in 1972, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai sent them as a gift to the American people.

    U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Report

    #29

    Giant Panda's Bite Is Incredibly Strong

    Panda sitting and eating a tree branch

    Its bite was in third place among the examined live species with a BFQ (Bite Force Quotient) of 151. Giant Panda is one of the few carnivores that primarily feed on vegetation, specifically bamboo, a fibrously stiff plant that requires vigorous chewing. The panda's biting force has little to do with the size of its meal.

    nwf.org , Benjamín Núñez González Report

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    #30

    Much Of What Pandas Eat Is Passed As Waste

    Panda laying on rocks and eating tree leaves

    The digestive tract of a giant panda is more like that of a carnivore than a herbivore, and a lot of the food it consumes is passed on as waste.

    science.org Report

    #31

    Mei Xiang, Tian Tian And Their Cub Will Stay At Smithsonian's National Zoo Until 2023

    Panda sniffing a tree on the ground

    The Zoo's adult panda pair, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, arrived in 2000. A contract with the China Wildlife Conservation Association stipulates that the couple and their youngster would remain at the zoo until 2023.

    nationalzoo.si.edu , greyloch Report

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