Endangered species panda

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Endangered Species Panda

Panda

The big panda, or bamboo bear - a mammal of family bear with original black-and-white coloring of the wool, possessing some signs of raccoons. The big pandas live in mountain regions of the central China: Sichuan and Tibet. From second half of XX-th century the panda became something like a national emblem of China.

The Chinese name is meant by "bear-cat". Its western name occurs from a small panda. Before it also named a spotty bear.

Appearance

At length the big panda reaches 1,2--1,5 m and has weight from 30 to 160kg. Unlike other bears has long enough tail (to 12 sm). A body massive, covered with dense white fur with black stains round eyes ("points") and black paws. Short thick hinder legs have sharp claws. On soles and in the basis of each finger the naked small pillows facilitating keeping of smooth stalks of a bamboo are well developed.

Way of life

In spite of the fact that pandas concern predatory animals, their diet in overwhelming majority the vegetarian. Actually, they eat one only a bamboo. In day the adult panda eats to 30kg of a bamboo and runaways. Technically, as well as many animals, pandas are omnivorous. So it is known that pandas eat eggs, and also some insects along with their bamboo diet. The animal food for pandas is a necessary source of fiber.

Classification

Many long years exact taxonomy classification of pandas was a subject of debate at scientists -- both big, and small pandas have signs as bear, and coonskin. At last, genetic tests have proved that the big pandas actually are bears, and their close relative is spectacled the bear living in the South America. The small panda forms own family malopandovyh which together with families coonskin, skunsovyh and marten forms super family kunitsepodobnyh(Musteloidea).

The big pandas have unusual paws, with "thumb" and five usual fingers; "thumb" actually is a modified bone of a wrist.

Ecology

The big panda is a vanishing species characterized in constantly decreasing size of population and low level of birth rate, both in the wild nature, and at the maintenance in bondage. Scientists assume that in the wild nature remains about 1600 individuals. The big panda is a symbol of the World fund of the wild nature (WWF).

For the first time the big panda became known in the West in 1869 thanks to the French missionary Armandu David (1826--1900). The big pandas soon became favorites of public thanking their similarity with teddy bears. Also the mite in the created innocent shape of a live soft toy was brought by that fact that pandas are practically vegetarians and eat basically a bamboo.

At the person genes coincide with a panda on 68 %.

Rent of the big pandas to zoos of the USA and Japan was an important part of the Chinese diplomacy in 1970, it was one of the first displays of a cultural exchange between China and the West. panda bear bamboo

However, since 1984, pandas have ceased to use in the diplomatic purposes. Instead of it, China offers pandas to other countries in 10-year-old rent. A standard lease term includes a rent in 1 million US dollars a year and granting of guarantees that all bear cubs who have born in rent are the property of the Peoples Republic of China.

It is necessary to notice that in China the death penalty for murder of a panda is provided that also plays the role in business of protection of the given kind.

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