---
title: "What the sources say about the Giant Panda | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "52 claims from the Giant Panda profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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---

# What the sources say about the Giant Panda (*Ailuropoda melanoleuca*)

> 52 claims from the Giant Panda profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Giant Panda](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/giant-panda/)

## Ailuropoda melanoleuca (giant panda). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ailuropoda_melanoleuca/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| a bony spare thumb | This digit is not actually a thumb but a pad of skin overlying a radial sesamoid structure (wrist bone) |
| a radial sesamoid wrist bone that works as a spare thumb | This digit is not actually a thumb but a pad of skin overlying a radial sesamoid structure (wrist bone) |
| A giant panda's paw has an extra "thumb" that isn't actually a thumb: a wrist bone called the radial sesamoid, covered by a pad of skin. | an extra, opposable digit on the hand known as "the panda's thumb." ... This digit is not actually a thumb but a pad of skin overlying a radial sesamoid structure (wrist bone) |
| It helps the panda tear bamboo stalks and gives it increased dexterity while handling them. | The extra digit on the panda's hand helps the panda in tearing the bamboo. This adaptation also allows increased dexterity while handling bamboo. |
| wrist bone called the radial sesamoid, covered by a pad of skin, works as a spare thumb | This digit is not actually a thumb but a pad of skin overlying a radial sesamoid structure (wrist bone) |
| A wide, deep sagittal crest gives it powerful jaws | They have a large sagittal crest that has become wider and deeper resulting in powerful jaws. |
| its molars and premolars are wider and flatter than other bears', with ridges and cusps built to grind tough bamboo | The molars and premolars are wider and flatter than other bears' and they have developed extensive ridges and cusps in order to grind tough bamboo. |
| Pandas are bears | Today it is widely accepted with little doubt that that giant pandas belong to the bear family |
| Its sagittal crest has grown wider and deeper, resulting in powerful jaws | They have a large sagittal crest that has become wider and deeper resulting in powerful jaws. |
| its molars and premolars are broader and flatter than other bears', with extensive ridges and cusps developed to grind tough bamboo | The molars and premolars are wider and flatter than other bears' and they have developed extensive ridges and cusps in order to grind tough bamboo. |
| from anti-poaching laws | To protect the population in the wild, the Chinese government has many anti-poaching laws. |

## Giant Panda. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/giant-panda

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| the strongest jaws of any bear | Pandas have the most jaw strength of any bear thanks to all the chewing and manipulating it takes to eat bamboo. |
| a diet that's about 99% bamboo | Giant pandas have also been known to eat grasses, bulbs, fruits, some insects, and even rodents and carrion—but about 99% of their diet is bamboo. |
| mostly at elevations of 1,200 to 3,500 meters | mostly at elevations between 4,000 and 11,500 feet (1,200 to 3,500 meters) |
| About 99% bamboo | about 99% of their diet is bamboo |
| A Sixth Digit That Isn't a Finger | They grasp bamboo stalks using their five digits and an enlarged wrist bone called a “pseudo-thumb.” (note: sixth = the five digits plus the pseudo-thumb; a wrist bone, not a finger) |
| The panda's range has shrunk and become highly fragmented | their range shrunk and became highly fragmented |
| About 99% of everything a panda eats is bamboo | about 99% of their diet is bamboo |
| A giant panda has the most jaw strength of any bear, thanks to all the chewing and manipulating it takes to eat bamboo | Pandas have the most jaw strength of any bear thanks to all the chewing and manipulating it takes to eat bamboo. |
| The golden cat, yellow-throated marten, dhole and weasel prey on cubs and juveniles, and a young panda is probably safe from predators once it reaches about 50 kilograms and two and a half years old | Once a young panda reaches a weight of about 110 pounds (50 kilograms) and is about 2.5 years old, it is probably safe from predators. However, wildlife such as the golden cat, yellow-throated marten, dhole, and weasel prey on panda cubs and juveniles. (note: 110 lbs converted to 50 kg (source's own conversion)) |
| To stay safe, a cub left alone climbs high into a tree and stays there until its mother returns | To stay safe, solitary cubs scamper high in trees and remain there until their mother returns |
| Pandas have fewer predators today than they once did | Today, pandas have fewer predators than they did historically. |
| tigers are generally not found in what remains of panda habitat, and leopards are found there in reduced numbers | Tigers are generally not found in what remains of panda habitat, and leopards are found in reduced numbers. |
| A giant panda has the most jaw strength of any bear. | Pandas have the most jaw strength of any bear thanks to all the chewing and manipulating it takes to eat bamboo. |
| a growing network of reserves | extending the panda reserve system ... China has established 67 giant panda reserves that protect panda habitats from further development. |
| moved the species off the Endangered list and onto Vulnerable in 2016 | Until 2016, they were categorized as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. They are currently listed as Vulnerable, thanks to dedicated conservation efforts that have helped to increase their population. |

## Giant panda. Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giant-panda

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A carnivore-like gut | A giant panda's digestive system is more similar to that of a carnivore than an herbivore |
| Broadleaf and coniferous mountain forests thick with bamboo | Giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in south central China ... Giant pandas live in broadleaf and coniferous forests with a dense understory of bamboo |
| China's Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces | Giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in south central China, in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. |
| a carnivore-like gut forces a panda to eat 32 to 45 kilograms of bamboo over 10 to 16 hours a day | A giant panda's digestive system is more similar to that of a carnivore than an herbivore ... a panda needs to consume a comparatively large amount of food—from 70 to 100 pounds of bamboo each day ... a panda must spend 10 to 16 hours a day foraging and eating. (note: 70-100 lbs converted to 32-45 kg) |
| a spare thumb for gripping bamboo | This posture leaves the front paws free to grasp bamboo stems with the help of a "pseudo thumb," |
| so much of what they eat passes straight through as waste | so much of what is eaten is passed as waste |
| That means much of what a panda swallows passes straight through as waste instead of being absorbed. | and so much of what is eaten is passed as waste. To make up for the inefficient digestion |
| Its front paws carry a trick of their own | This posture leaves the front paws free to grasp bamboo stems with the help of a "pseudo thumb," |
| An enlarged, elongated wrist bone | a "pseudo thumb," formed by an elongated and enlarged wrist bone covered with a fleshy pad of skin |
| a naturally slow breeding rate keeps a population from recovering quickly from illegal hunting and habitat loss | The giant pandas' naturally slow breeding rate prevents a population from recovering quickly from illegal hunting, habitat loss and other human-related causes of mortality. |
| 70 to 100 pounds (32 to 45 kilograms) of bamboo a day | a panda needs to consume a comparatively large amount of food—from 70 to 100 pounds of bamboo each day—to get all its nutrients (note: 70-100 lbs converted to 32-45 kg) |
| 10 to 16 hours a day of foraging and eating | a panda must spend 10 to 16 hours a day foraging and eating |
| roughly the size of an American black bear | About the size of an American black bear |
| 1.2 to 1.8 meters long and 60 to 90 centimeters at the shoulder on all fours | giant pandas stand between 2 and 3 feet (60 to 90 centimeters) tall at the shoulder (on all four legs), and reach 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) long |
| A wild male can weigh up to 113 kilograms; females rarely reach 100. | Males are larger than females, weighing up to 250 pounds (113 kilograms) in the wild. Females rarely reach 220 pounds (104 kilograms). (note: 220 lb is 99.8 kg; the source's own parenthetical 104 kg is a conversion error. sdzwa-panda gives the same ceiling: 'Females, 155 to 220 pounds (70 to 100 kilograms)') |
| Scientists aren't sure how long a wild panda lives, but estimate about 15 to 20 years | Scientists are not sure how long giant pandas live in the wild, but they are sure it is shorter than lifespans in zoos. They estimate that lifespan is about 15-20 years for wild pandas |
| against about 30 in a zoo | and about 30 years for those in human care |
| Chinese scientists have reported zoo pandas as old as 35 | Chinese scientists have reported zoo pandas as old as 35. |
| their digestive system works more like a carnivore's than a plant-eater's | A giant panda's digestive system is more similar to that of a carnivore than an herbivore |
| a few mountain ranges in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, in damp, bamboo-thick broadleaf and coniferous forest | Giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in south central China, in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces ... Giant pandas live in broadleaf and coniferous forests with a dense understory of bamboo ... Torrential rains or dense mist throughout the year characterizes these forests |
| To get enough nutrients out of bamboo, a panda eats a comparatively large amount of it: 70 to 100 pounds (32 to 45 kilograms) a day. | a panda needs to consume a comparatively large amount of food—from 70 to 100 pounds of bamboo each day—to get all its nutrients (note: 70-100 lbs converted to 32-45 kg) |
| As few as 1,864 giant pandas are estimated to live in the wild, alongside roughly 600 more in zoos and breeding centers | As few as 1,864 giant pandas live in their native habitat, while another 600 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers around the world. |
| About the Size of a Black Bear | About the size of an American black bear |
| Plenty of people find pandas cute, but the Smithsonian's National Zoo warns that they can be as dangerous as any other bear. | Many people find these chunky, lumbering animals to be cute, but giant pandas can be as dangerous as any other bear. (note: added in the #174 settle so the page states what backs stats.dangerLevel High ('Dangerous when cornered or provoked'). No cached source reports a person killed, so not Deadly.) |
| an animal that spends 10 to 16 hours a day eating 32 to 45 kilograms of bamboo | a panda needs to consume a comparatively large amount of food—from 70 to 100 pounds of bamboo each day—to get all its nutrients ... a panda must spend 10 to 16 hours a day foraging and eating (note: vibe.reason; 70-100 lbs converted to 32-45 kg, as in the diet line.) |

## Swaisgood, Wang & Wei (2016). Ailuropoda melanoleuca. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T712A121745669.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-2.rlts.t712a45033386.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Vulnerable | IUCN Red List category: Vulnerable (VU). |