- Pandas live mainly in bamboo forests high in the mountains of western China
- It has a coat of black and white, combined with a bulky body and round face. Round black ears and black eye patches stand out against a white face and neck. Black limbs, tail, legs, and shoulders contrast with the white torso.
- Adults measure around 1.2 to 1.9 m (4 to 6 ft) long, including a tail of about 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in), and 60 to 90 cm (2.0 to 3.0 ft) tall at the shoulder
- The giant panda paw has a “thumb” which helps it to hold bamboo while eating
- As much as 90–98 percent of the panda’s diet consists of the leaves, shoots, and stems of bamboo. Pandas will occasionally eat small animals and fish
- The average giant panda eats as much as 9 to 14 kg (20 to 30 lbs) of bamboo shoots a day to compensate for the limited energy content of its diet.
- Unlike most other bears, pandas do not hibernate. When winter approaches, they head lower down their mountain homes to warmer temperatures
- Pandas are generally solitary. Each adult has a defined territory and a female is not tolerant of other females in her range
- Pandas communicate through vocalization and scent marking such as clawing trees or spraying urine
- The giant panda typically lives around 20 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity
