Giant Panda Characteristics

Quick Facts

Name: The Chinese call it the ‘big bear-cat’ (大熊猫 da xiongmao /dah-sshyong-maow/).
Size: 75 centimeters (2.5 foot) tall and 1.5 meters (5 foot) long

Weight: Up to 150 kg (330 lb)
Habitat: Central- Western and Southwest China.Mainly Sichuan. A few in Shaanxi and Gansu. See the map »
Diet: 99% bamboo. 13 kg (30 lb) or more a day.
Life Span: Up to 30 years in captivity, but usually only 15 to 20 years in the wild
Protection Status: Endangered. Estimates of giant panda numbers in the wild vary between 1,500 and 3,000.
Giant Panda Facts »

The Panda Bear ('Bear-Cat')

The giant panda is a type of bear. The Chinese call it the ‘big bear-cat’ (大熊猫 da xiongmao /daa-sshyong-maoww/).

Size

Grown pandas are about 75 centimeters (2.5 foot) tall and 1.5 meters (5 ft) long (see the diagram showing a man and a giant panda). They weigh up to 150 kg (330 lb). Females are smaller, weighing up to 125 kg (275 lb).

Appearance

Giant pandas have a distinctive appearance. Their thick black and white fur equips them for life in cool forests. Their white coat with black markings is unique, with black patches round the eyes and ears, black legs and a black band around the shoulders.

Giant pandas' paws have five “fingers” and one “thumb” – an enlarged bone at the heel of the paw used for gripping bamboo, climbing, etc.

Giant pandas' round body shape helps them keep warm despite their low-calory bamboo diet. Their round faces hold big jaw muscles and molars for crushing bamboo.