Many scientists classify the Giant Panda as a raccoon, rather than a bear.
The Panda’s forepaw is different from the other bears. It has an elongated
wrist bone that provides a sixth finger, giving the Panda the ability to
grasp bamboo stems, its main food. The Panda’s natural habitat is in the
grasp bamboo stems, its main food. The Panda’s natural habitat is in the
mountains of central China where the bamboo is plentiful. The Panda
eats huge amounts of bamboo and spends 50 to 75 percent of its day
feeding. Pandas stay on the ground most of the time, but climb trees for
shelter or to hide from enemies.
The male leaves his territory to find a mate and courts her by whining and
barking. The female gives birth a tiny cub, weighing less than one-half
pound. The cub grows quickly and by the time it is 8 weeks old it weighs 20
times what it did at birth. Pandas are large and heavy, with a huge head and
big legs. It has a thick, woolly black and white coat, with a brownish tinge
sometimes on its back.
(Source: ancienthistory.mrdonn.org)
