The Cutest Creature On Earth

     PANDA     

WAZZZUUPPP! It's been a long time, isn't it? This time on this blog, I would like to talk about this cutie pie that we call Panda. Why did I choose Panda? Because they are annoyingly CUUTTTEE that I can't even take it anymore. 


The giant panda  or also known as panda bear or simply panda, is a bear native to south central China. This peaceful creature with a distinctive black and white coat is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China. Pandas live mainly in bamboo forests high in the mountains of western China, where they subsist almost entirely on bamboo. It is easily recognized by the large, distinctive black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body.

     Taxonomic    

For many decades, the precise taxonomic classification of the giant panda was under debate because it shares characteristics with both bears and raccoons.

Kingdom:    Animalia
All members of this kingdom are multicellular (made up of many cells) and are heterotrophic (get their nourishment by eating other organisms). All animals require oxygen for their metabolism.

Phylum:    Chordata
Chordates are all bilaterally symmetrical with distinct heads. At some point in their development, they possess a notochord (a rod-shaped supporting axis, or backbone). 

Class:    Mammalia
All mammals have hair, are able to regulate their body temperature, and females can produce milk.

Order:    Carnivora
Not all members of Carnivora eat meat (pandas eat almost nothing but bamboo), but all have well-developed teeth for shredding foods. In general, these animals have strong limbs and claws and acute senses. 

Family:    Ursidae
Members of the bear family have five toes on each foot and some can walk upright for short distances. Bears are intelligent animals with a great sense of smell.

Genus:    AiluropodaThe giant panda is the only member of the genus Ailuropoda because it is not very closely related to any other bears.

Species:  Melanoleuca

   Life Cycle   

NEW BORNS
Born tiny, blind, and pink. Baby pandas develop black and white pattern in a month, and begin to crawl at three months.

CUBHOOD
At four months, cubs can run a few steps. Pandas are fully weaned to bamboo at eight months.

INDEPENDENCE
When cubs leave their mother depends on is she conceives.

MATURITY
Female pandas reach sexual maturity at about 4 years old, males at 6 years old but wild pandas may be slower. Wild pandas in captivity can live more than 30 years. 

   Behaviors    

Giant pandas spend their lives eating bamboo and walking around the forest floor. They are good climbers and can also swim. They don’t build dens (except to put cubs in) or hibernate. They prefer shallow slopes and solitary living. If it is too cold up in the mountains they head down to the valleys where it is warmer.

In addition to eating for about half a day, the giant pandas spend the rest of their time in sleeping. 

In the wild, the giant pandas sleep for 2 to 4 hours between its two meals, whose favorite sleeping poses include lying flat on their backs, lying on their sides, lying on their stomachs, stretching their paws and rolling themselves up into balls.

The pandas are very nimble in climbing trees and run rapidly in danger. They propose to their partners, run away from danger and evade stronger competitors by climbing trees.

The giant pandas also walk into the valley, sneak into mountain villages or residences, which play with round-shaped utensils as toys and later abandon them in the wild.

Once in a while, the giant pandas also show their kindness to sheep and pigs by sharing food and rooms with them.

Most communication among giant pandas is reached by scent markings left on the habitat, by which they can find their previous partners during mating season.

After finding their partners, they will communicate with sound, which is barely understood by humans, and they will remain silent when simply but playing. Therefore, we could predicate their behaviors simply by their sounds.

Pandas are the cutest creature on earth. Despite how much time they spend by sleeping, they love to play around so much. Here's a video of funny pandas that will lighten up your day! 

Adios!

    Q&A    

1. Where do Pandas originally come from?

a. Japan

b. Korea

c. China

d. Taiwan

e. Thailand

2. How do Pandas communicate?

a. By talking to each other

b. By scent markings

c. By barking

d. By Whistling

e. By body languange

3. When do Pandas get their black and white pattern?

a. A month old

b. Two months old

c. Three months old

d. Four months old

e. Right after birth

4. When do female Pandas reach their sexual maturity?

a. At three years old

b. At four years old

c. At five years old

d. At six years old

e. At. seven years old

5. Which statement that is not true according to the text? 

a. Pandas are very fond of climbing trees

b. Pandas propose to their partners

c. Pandas can run rapidly when they're in danger

d. Pandas spend half of their day by eating

e. Pandas don't like to share foods with sheep or pigs

Sources : 

https://www.chinahighlights.com/giant-panda

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_panda

https://zoologyjose.weebly.com/taxonomy.html