Is a panda a bear or a raccoon? Description of the panda

About the big and small panda the world became known only in the late nineteenth century, despite the fact that it is very ancient and rare animals. Since the discovery, the study of these interesting and unusual animals began. But after two centuries of constant research, much about these mammals is still a mystery. Scientists in no way can come to a common opinion about the class of these animals. This problem is further aggravated by the fact that these two species have many differences among themselves. So now you can hear a lot of discussions on the topic: "Panda is a bear or a raccoon?"

Description of a large "bamboo bear"

This kind of animal is usually referred to the class of mammals, the order of predators, the family of raccoons and the panda subfamily. But not so long ago the Australian researcher E. Tennius conducted a series of analyzes of morphological, cardiological, ethological and biochemical character. According to the results, the scientist established that out of the sixteen characteristics of five large panda - this raccoon, and the remaining twelve are peculiar only to her one.

If we look at the appearance of this animal, then the big panda is undoubtedly more like bears, for it is not without reason that it is called a "bamboo bear". It has a massive body, which is completely covered with thick fur. Its length varies from 1,1 to 1,9 meters, and weight - from 75 to 140 kilograms. The thick and short legs of this animal end in massive paws with large claws.

If you look closely at the sole, you can see that on it and next to each finger there are peculiar pads that serve the animal to hold smooth and slippery bamboo stalks.

In contrast to the bear, this beast has a tail, the length of which reaches 13 cm, and teeth having a different structure. On the premolars of the panda, you can see protrusions and tubercles, which none of the other species of bears have, and its head is massive and stupid, with large, erect ears.

Description of the panda of this species says that it has a white color with characteristic black spots near its eyes, black legs and the same color of tail. And though in appearance it resembles a bear, some features of its anatomy forced scientists to doubt it. In their opinion, the panda is a representative of the family of raccoons, and some even identified it in a special class of mammals.

How does a small species look like these interesting animals?

This species, according to scientists, refers to the raccoon, because it has the same tail with a striped coloring, a similar muzzle, as well as the shape of the skull and the structure of the teeth. Although her pioneers were inclined to believe that a small panda is a cat with a fiery red color. This animal also has two subspecies - Western and Chinese.

This animal, in contrast to its large congeners, has a body whose length reaches a maximum of 67 cm, with a tail up to 47 cm and a mass not exceeding 6 kg. Therefore, if you answer the question: "Panda is a bear or not?", Then we can safely say that the small species of these animals with red color refers more to raccoons than to bears.

Spread

Big pandas live in the highlands in the heart of China. Their home is the regions of Sichuan and Tibet. Their whole life passes in the forests, where mostly bamboo grows, they are located at an altitude of 1500-4600 m above sea level. In this area there are rather moderate climatic conditions and all the seasons of the year are pronounced. In addition, these animals live in many centers and zoos, where they continue to study and explore. In conditions of captivity, their life expectancy reaches 27 years, and in the wild, even shorter.

Red panda lives in China, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. She lives, like her great counterpart, in a mountainous area at an altitude of 4800 m. This small animal inhabits the forests of the state of Assam, as well as the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan. This animal lives in 86 other zoos in the world.

Despite the fact that the large and small species differ significantly in appearance and the scientists consider that one panda is a bear and the other is a raccoon, they lead the same way of life.

Behavior

These animals mostly live one by one. The only exception is the marriage period and the time for the upbringing of your cubs. Mature individuals live in an area of about five square meters, which is much smaller than that of bears. In order to indicate their presence, they can use labels with a specific odor.

Big panda, unlike small, is active at any time of the day and night. The redhead of her relatives leads a nocturnal life, and in the daytime sleeps in the crowns of trees, curled up in a ball and put her head on her big striped tail.

Food

Numerous and dense thickets of bamboo are food for both large and small pandas. Thirty species of this plant make up about 99 percent of their diet. They also willingly consume all sorts of berries, fruits, seeds and acorns. Sometimes they can even hunt small birds, reptiles and rodents.

In captivity, they are fed with the same bamboo, as well as biscuits and larvae of insects. Panda is an animal that is one of the few able to eat food in any position of its body and even lying down.

Reproduction

Individuals of two species reach their sexual maturity closer to five years, and mate begin only at seven. Females in their mating period, which ranges from two days to a week, produce loud noises and actively release a specific smell.

After that, there comes a pregnancy, which lasts for these animals on average five months. Usually one or two naked cubs are born with a body weight of not more than 200 grams and a length of 14 to 16 cm, as well as in brown bears. Although scientists have not yet come to an unambiguous conclusion about whether a panda is a bear or not, the process of reproduction of these two animals is of a similar nature.

Offspring

At birth, their cubs, like all kinds of bears, are helpless and blind. The female grows her little puppies herself and treats them very carefully and with special care. Within a few days after their birth, she does not leave the burrow for a minute, even to eat or drink. The mother puts her cubs to her breast fifteen times a day, and one feeding can have a duration of about half an hour.

The panda often appears at birth twins, but the female after a while chooses the most robust baby from them and continues to take care of him, and the second, respectively, without dying, dies. The lactation period in these animals lasts approximately 45 weeks, and the young remain with their mothers until they reach the age of three.

Interesting Facts

It turns out that for the first time, when scientists were conducting research on a large species of these animals, they could not understand for a long time, the panda is who, what an animal in general. A little later they came to the conclusion that she is a raccoon, but only a huge size.

After a while, other experts denied this opinion, because with the help of a genetic test it was possible to establish that this species of animals has a more bearing on bears.

As for the red pandas, many scientists have written them down generally to a marten-like species, which consists of the family of cunies, and also the raccoon and skunks.

Although, according to most researchers, these two subspecies belong to different classes, they still have some similarities among themselves. For example, both pandas have a sixth "pseudo-finger" located on their front paws. It is much larger than the other five. In fact, this part of the body is a carpal bone, covered with skin. Such a structure helps animals to better hold bamboo plants.

Conservation status

Unfortunately, pandas are on the verge of total extinction, that's why they are on the International Red Book lists. This happens for many reasons. The red, live panda does not represent such a great interest for people as its fur. Because of this, it was a constant hunt, especially in Nepal. But recently the number of this species has gradually recovered.

Large pandas are also protected by law, according to which the extermination of this animal will be punishable by death or life imprisonment.

Although this beast was discovered several centuries ago, and in 1912 it even became a national treasure of the PRC (according to the legislation of this Republic), but scientists still can not come to an unambiguous conclusion that a panda is a bear or a raccoon. Therefore, the research of this animal continues to this day.