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Mammals: Panda
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China's national treasure, the panda, has long been a favorite around the world. Its unique black-and-white coat has been a cause for speculation. Some scientists believe it's for camouflage, whereas others believe the opposite -- that the coats are meant to be conspicuous.
Giant pandas are found only in six small, isolated forests in southwest China.
Giant pandas are omnivorous and will eat small rodents, insects, grasses, bulbs, and fruit. However, the bulk of their diet is bamboo and their strong jaws and large teeth help them crush the tough plant.
Pandas aren't as solitary as was once thought. Current research suggests that pandas encounter each other at times other than the breeding season, live in overlapping territories, and communicate periodically through scent markings, calls, and occasional meetings.
Female giant pandas ovulate only once a year. Ovulation occurs in the spring and the conception time is a mere two to three days. If a female doesn't get pregnant during those days, she will have to wait until the following year. This low fertility rate makes it difficult to sustain their present population of perhaps 1,000 in the wild. Giant pandas are listed as endangered. Other causes for their endangered status is habitat destruction, bamboo shortages, and getting caught in the traps set out for other animals.
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Except for the kangaroo and opossum, the giant panda baby is the smallest mammal newborn relative to its mother's size.
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