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Mammal. The giant panda is one of the rarest animals in the world. Found only in the mountains of central China, pandas live in dense bamboo and coniferous forests at altitudes of 1,200 to 3,500 meters (4,000 to 11,500 feet). They are very playful and active for about 15 hours a day, most of which is spent eating. Having the digestive system of a carnivore, pandas must eat large amounts of bamboo every day to stay alive. The rest of the time they like to relax against a tree. They spend much of their time alone. Giant pandas cannot walk on their hind legs. They do not hibernate, because their food is available throughout the year. |
| Scientific
Name |
Lifespan |
| Ailuropoda melanoleuca |
25 years |
| Diet |
| Omnivore. Unlike other bears, giant pandas are mainly herbivorous, eating primarily bamboo shoots, leaves and roots. Occasionally they eat other plants, small animals, and carcasses. |
| Predators and Threats |
| Humans and habitat loss; snow leopards and eagles attack baby pandas. |
| Habitat |
| Mountain forests characterized by dense stands of bamboo; China (Gansu, Shaanxi, and Sichuan Provinces). |
