![]() The largest Giant Panda breeding center is located within the Wolong Nature Reserve in Lungu (Wenchuan) County of the Ngaba (Aba) Prefecture, Sichuan Province. The largest of the reserves in which the Panda is found is the 2137.5 square-kilometre (825 square mile) Baishuijiang Reserve in Gansu Province. Five of these reserves are in Shaanxi Province, two are in Gansu, and the rest are in Sichuan. Slightly over half of the Giant Panda’s population occurs in 33 nature reserves in Tibet and China. ![]() The highest concentration of Giant pandas occurs in eastern Tibet (in Sichuan Province). These mountain ranges are found in the Amdo and Kham regions of Tibet (the Gansu and Sichuan provinces of China) and the Chinese province of Shaanxi. The Giant Panda is confined to portions of six mountain ranges in Tibet and China, including the Qinling, Min, Qionglai, Daxiangling, Xiaoxiangling, and Liang Mountains. Though the Giant Panda may descend to as low as 800 metres (2,600 feet) during the winter, it is usually not found below 1,200 to 1,300 metres (3,900 to 4,300 feet) because of the impact man has had on the Panda’s habitat. The Giant Panda can tolerate a wide variety of climates, ranging in temperature from very hot to very cold, but most pandas inhabit humid, mountainous forests with dense bamboo stands, near streams, at elevations between 2,700 and 3,900 metres (8,900 to 12,800 feet). Giant pandas weigh between 80 and 150 kilograms (176 to 331 pounds). The Giant Panda is slightly smaller than the Black Bear, with a body length of 160 to 190 centimetres (5.2 to 6.2 feet) and a height of about 70 to 80 centimetres (2.3 to 2.6 feet) at the shoulder. The hind paws of the Giant Panda lack the heel pads found in the seven other bear species. The Giant Panda has five fingers and a specialized wrist bone called a sesamoid that enables the Panda to more easily grasp and manipulate bamboo. Thick muscular wall linings similarly protect the Panda’s stomach. A tough, horny lining protects the Giant Panda’s oesophagus from bamboo splinters. The Panda has large molars and powerful muscles that extend from the top of its head to its jaws that together enable the Panda to crush fibrous plant material like tough stalks. The Giant Panda’s head is large in proportion to the rest of its body. The Panda also has a small furry tail that measures 10 to 15 centimetres (four to six inches) long. The inner layer of the Giant Panda’s fur is dense and wool-like, while the outer layer is coarse. The Giant Panda’s smooth coat, dual-layered and oily, additionally protects the Panda from the cool and damp climate of its habitat. ![]() Because the forest canopy appears patchy when looked up at from below (overhead branches and leaves look dark and the sky looks light), it is difficult for the Panda’s predators to spot it when it is sitting in the trees. This mottled colouring probably serves to camouflage the Giant Panda within its natural habitat of deep forests. Photo: The Giant Panda is so popular partly because of its attractive, distinctive colouring – the Panda’s legs, shoulders, eyes, ears, and nose are black, while the rest of its body is white.
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