The Giant Panda
(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
Panda's are one of the most interesting animals out there.
Domain; Eukaryotic
Kingdom; Animalia
Phylum; Chordata
Class; Mammalia
Order; Carnivora
Genus; Ailuropoda
Species; Ailuropoda melanoleucaWhat is their habitat?
Pandas require a cool, moist climate. Today, they live on the Eastern rim of the mountainous Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in Southwestern China.
Pandas usually eat about 83 pounds of food EVERY day.
Bamboo
Bamboo is the Pandas main food source.
Fish
Occasionally they will hunt for fish.
Small mammals
Every now and then, they will also hunt for small mammals.
What predators eat Giant Pandas?
The Bengal Tiger and Leopard
The Bengal Tiger and Leopard are the main predators to Giant Pandas.
Giant Pandas Trophic Level?
The Giant Pandas trophic level is a first trophic level consumer because they directly eat bamboo which is a producer.
When are Pandas active?
Giant Pandas can be active at any time of the day or night.
Special Adaptations?
The most obvious special adaptation that a Panda has to help it succeed in its niche is the one that helps it eat bamboo, it's "sixth toe".
Mating Season
The Giant Pandas mating season is between March and May. Giant Pandas only have one to two offspring every two years.
Pandas are polygamous
Polygamous; Having many mating partners.
Symbiotic Relationships
Pandas have a mutualistic relationship with the bacteria in its stomach. They also have a parasitic relationship with a roundworm that has been responsible for 50% of all Giant Panda’s death.
Food Chain
The diet of a giant panda consists mainly of bamboo. It does have many predators that it falls prey to, such as leopards.
Interesting Facts
Newborn Panda
A new born panda cub is 1/900th the size of its mother and is compared to the length of a stick of butter.
Memory
Pandas rely on spatial memory, not visual memory.
Sixth toe
A pandas paw has six digits, five fingers and a pseudo-thumb.