AWW…..LOOK! IT’S A CUTE LITTLE CUB

amirah (34)in #science • 7 years ago

Do you know that a baby panda is called a cub?

Image source: http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/panda/

And yes, this is actually a cub. A newborn cub is very weak and tiny, weighing only about 120 grams and measure about 15 cm. The mother Panda is said to be almost 900 times bigger than the cub. Can you imagine how tiny this cub is in reality?

The giant panda is known among the scientific community with the name "Ailuropoda melanoleuca" that can be translated as the black and white cat-foot.

Although panda is considered as a bear, it does not hibernate like the other bears. In fact, it continues to munch up to almost 12 kg bamboos daily and spend half of the day eating. This is because the digestive system of Panda is designed for meat and thus it only absorbs 20%-30% of nutrients from the bamboo. Panda needs to eat most of the time to ensure its survival.

Image source: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/07/how-pandas-survive-their-bamboo-only-diet

Panda is a symbol of peace in China. Besides that, the Panda is often related to the concept of Yin and Yang that promotes balance, peace, and harmony.

Interestingly one of the articles mentioned that the panda has a peculiar liking for licking copper and iron. The article added that it also enjoys fruit lollipops.