National Animal of China | Symbols of China
Giant Panda is the Official National Animal of China. The Others Name of this Animal is great pandas, parti-colored bears, big bearcat, bamboo bears, panda bear or simply panda and white bears. The binomial nomenclature for Giant Panda is Ailuropoda melanoleuca. Giant has been driven through the regions of lowland where they used to live, but now are found only in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi. It is the most favorite animal to the China people, which makes the Giant Panda the China National Animal. It is referred to as the “national treasure” of China.
Giant Panda Facts
- Common Name: Great panda, particolored bears, big bearcat, bamboo bears, panda bear, or simply panda and white bears.
- Scientific Name: Ailuropoda melanoleuca
- Color: It has black fur on its ears, eye patches, muzzle, legs, arms, and shoulders. The rest of the animal’s coat is white. The scientists cannot make any answer to why these atypical bears are black and white; conjecture suggests that the bold color provides effective camouflage for their shade-dappled snowy and rocky habitat.
- Length: 4 – 6 feet
- Height: 2.0 to 3.0 ft tall at the shoulder.
- Weight: Adult Males can weigh up to 350 lb while females can weigh as little as 150 lb, but can also weigh up to 276 lb. The average adult weight is 220 to 254 lb. Females are generally 10–20% smaller than males.
- Diet: A giant panda’s appetite for bamboo is insatiable. They eat bamboo 12 hours a day. That adds up to 28 lbs. (12.5 kg) of bamboo each day, which is known from National Geographic. According to the San Diego Zoo, the Giant Panda eats so much bamboo for low nutrients. They also eat rodents, fish, insects, and birds.
- Cubs: A giant panda usually gives birth to a single cub. Sometimes twins are born, but when this happens, the mother typically ignores the weaker cub. She does not have enough energy to care for two cubs. Cubs are usually born in August or September
- Lifespan: The lifespan of giant pandas in the wild is roughly 20 years while in captivity it can be 25-30 years.
Giant Panda has to eat most of the time when awake to get adequate nutrients to survive. Almost ninety-nine percent of their diet is bamboo but the digestive system of the panda is designed for meat. In fact, pandas absorb only 20%-30 % of bamboo nutrients. Other plant-eaters such as deer absorb around 80%. A giant panda’s appetite for bamboo is insatiable. They eat bamboo 12 hours a day. That adds up to 28 lbs. (12.5 kg) of bamboo each day, which is known from National Geographic. According to the San Diego Zoo, the Giant Panda eats so much bamboo for low nutrients. They also eat rodents, fish, insects, and birds. Eating both vegetation and meat makes these pandas omnivores.
The giant panda’s black and white coloring reflects the harmony embodied in the yin and yang symbol. Many Chinese philosophers consider that the creation is made from two opposing forces, the Yin and Yang. The panda is one symbol of this philosophy with its contrasting black-and-white fur. The Chinese believe that the gentle nature of the Panda demonstrates how the Yin and Yang bring peace and harmony when they are balanced.
National Animal of China, Giant Panda giant panda’s face is very cute to look at, but it is not flabby. It gets its shape from massive cheek muscles. In fact, a giant panda’s jaw and cheek muscles are so powerful that a panda can easily chew an aluminum dish into tiny pieces. They can also easily bite through a thick bamboo stalk. Humans have trouble cutting the same stalk with an ax.
