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Endangered Animals - Pandas

Endangered Animals - Pandas The giant panda of China has become the unofficial symbol for wildlife protection. But in spite of widespread publicity for the plight of the panda and over 20 years of international conservation work, the panda is still listed as one of the most critically endangered of animals.

Come and sample these internet sites and complete the activities for each one to learn more about what the ancient Chinese called bei-shung, or white bear.

Giant Pandas
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/panda/

  1. The Chinese name for the giant panda is "Da xiong mao". What does this mean?
  2. The scientific name for the giant panda is Ailuropoda melanoleuca. What does this mean?
  3. The giant panda only exists at present in six small areas located in inland China. What is its habitat? Who are they competing with for this habitat?
  4. According to this site, about how many pandas are left in the wild?
  5. What is their primary food? How does what they eat contribute to their endangerment?
  6. The giant panda is about the same size as what other 2 bears?
  7. About how tall are pandas and about how much do they weigh?
  8. What is their life span in the wild?
  9. What is their biggest natural enemy?
  10. What are plantigrade feet?
  11. How are the teeth, throat, stomach, and forepaws of giant pandas adapted for what they eat?
  12. How is the fur of giant pandas adapted for where they live?
  13. Why do giant pandas have to eat so much bamboo?
  14. About how long each day do they eat?
  15. Giant pandas have an unusual reproductive process. After the female's egg is fertilized, the embryo does not implant itself in the female's uterus until until the summertime. Then after only an 8 week gestation period, the baby is born. A giant panda baby is very small. About how much does one weigh? These newborn babies are similar in size to what other animal? When are these babies most vulnerable to predators? About how long do they stay with their mothers?
  16. Giant pandas are one of the four bear species who do not hibernate. Explain why.

Time Out for Panda Facts

Fossils of giant pandas show that they were once widely distributed throughout China and Burma.

The Home of the Giant Panda
http://www.worldwildlife.org/news/headline.cfm?newsid=236

  1. China is a huge country. In which part of China do giant pandas live?

Time Out for Panda Facts

Pandas are most active in the early morning and late afternoon.

China Unique - Panda Facts
http://www.chinaunique.com/Panda/pandaedu.htm

  1. List 4 factors that threaten the survival of giant pandas.
  2. What did the ancient Chinese believe that pandas were able to do?
  3. The Chinese word for panda is Xiongmao. What does this mean?

Conservation of Pandas
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/
  1. Describe the main threat to the survival of giant pandas.

Time Out for Panda Facts

Destruction of the mountain forests is impacting other wildlife as well. There are approximately 300 different species of other mammals and birds as well as many species of wild plants that are also threatened by the encroachment of farm lands into the mountain slopes.

San Diego Zoo Panda Cam
http://sandiegozoo.org/zoo/ex_panda_station.html
  1. Check out this Panda Cam at the San Diego Zoo and see some real live pandas in action!

Time Out for Panda Facts

There are about 600 to 700 different kinds of bamboo. Giant pandas eat many kinds of bamboo but they particularly prefer two kinds over all others--the arrow bamboo and the umbrella bamboo. Arrow bamboo is the kind that is most commonly removed from the lower slopes of the mountains either by farmers clearing the land or by loggers. Pandas usually prefer to eat bamboo shoots, which are the fresh new tips of growth, and then the leaves and stems.

Time Out for Panda Facts

Every 20 to 40 years, some species of bamboo blossoms. Once bamboos have come into bloom and formed seed, they wither and die. This is a normal part of the life cycle of bamboo. The dieback is often spread over many years for a particular species of bamboo. This has always happened with bamboo, and if the bamboo in one forest died back, pandas used to be able to simply move to another forest where the bamboo was not blossoming. But now if a panda lives in an area that is affected by bamboo dieback, and farmers and loggers have cleared away other areas, there is sometimes no place for pandas to go to find food. In recent years, many pandas have died from starvation due to bamboo dieback.

Panda Quiz
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/pandas-qm.htm

  1. Take this multiple choice panda quiz and record your score.

Time Out for Panda Facts

Pandas sometimes supplement their diet with meat such as rats, insects, and leftovers from leopard kills.

Bibliography

Bright, Michael. Giant Panda. New York : Gloucester Press, 1989.

Duden, Jane. The Giant Pandas of China. Mankato, Minn. : Hilltop Books, 1998.

Dudley, Karen. Giant Pandas. Austin, Texas : Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1997.

Fowler, Allan. Giant Pandas : Gifts from China. Chicago : Childrens Press, 1995.

Freeman, Marcia S. Giant Pandas. Mankato, Minn. : Pebble Books, 1999.

Helmer, Diana Star. Panda Bears. New York : PowerKids Press, 1997.

Author: LINDA MOSBACKER - Email linda.mosbacker@slc.k12.ut.us