Panda

The Chinese have known about the panda for about 2,000 years. The panda is endangered mainly because of farming and logging have destroyed most of its habitat. There are only about 1,000 pandas left.

__Feeding__

Pandas adapted to a vegetarian diet a  time ago. (Perhaps because thy couldn't compete for their food). Pandas eat bamboo, thats what they eat 99% of the time. Sometimes they may eat irises and crocuses. Pandas eat for 12 to 16 hours a day.

The red panda is the giant pandas rela tive and one of its few competitors for bamboo.

__Habitat__

Pandas live in the mountain forests in China. Pandas can live as high up as 10,000 ft!

__Behaviour__

Pandas usually mature when they are 4.5 to 6.5 years old. Average pregnancy: 135 days.

Litters of one or two cubs are usually born. If two cubs are born, the mother usually abandons the weaker cub. It dies soon after birth.

Cubs are born blind for 45 days. The cub starts to crawl at 75 to 90 days. Cubs start to eat bamboo at 5 months. The cub lives with its mother until 18 months.

__Characteristics__

Giant pandas can weigh between 165 and 300 pounds.  Pandas are mostly black and white. Scientists believe they may turn camouflage in the winter. Other scientists say other pandas can recognize their coat.

 Some believe the black and white on the panda represents "Yin and Yang", the balancing forces in Chinese p hilosophy.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">__Reference list__ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">http.//kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/panda <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_panda <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">http://slack.net/~rd/wanglang/panda_facts.htm <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">The book Panda Rescue, Don Bartolotti, Firefly Books, 2003 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 160%; text-align: left;">http://www.flickr.com/photos/lrargerich/2265277196/sizes/l/in/photostream/ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 160%; text-align: left;">