袋鼠
维基百科，自由的百科全书
跳转到: 导航, 搜索
袋鼠[1]
母东部灰大袋鼠和她的小孩
科学分类
界： 动物界 Animalia
门： 脊索动物门 Chordata
纲： 哺乳纲 Mammalia
亚纲： 有袋亚纲 Marsupialia
目： 双门齿目 Diprotodontia
亚目： 袋鼠亚目 Macropodiformes
科： 袋鼠科 Macropodidae
属： 大袋鼠属 Macropus
(只含部分)
种
红大袋鼠 Macropus rufus
东部灰大袋鼠 Macropus giganteus
西部灰大袋鼠 Macropus fuliginosus
羚大袋鼠 Macropus antilopinus
袋鼠是一类有袋类动物，属于袋鼠科（Macropodidae），“袋鼠”一词通常用来指袋鼠科中体型最大的几个物种。
一般而言，大型袋鼠面对人类在澳大利亚的开发有较高的适应力；相较之下，他们的许多小型亲戚则面临了较大的生存威胁，数量也较少。目前并没有大规模的袋鼠养殖业，不过野生的袋鼠会被猎杀并制成食用肉品，而此种产业也具有争议性[2]。
袋鼠是澳大利亚的象征物，出现在澳大利亚国徽中[3]，以及一些澳大利亚货币图案上[4]。许多澳大利亚的组织团体，如澳大利亚航空[5]，也将袋鼠作为其标志。
2个分类: 澳大利亚动物 | 袋鼠科
Saturday, March 7, 2009
袋鼠
袋鼠
维基百科，自由的百科全书
跳转到: 导航, 搜索
袋鼠[1]
母东部灰大袋鼠和她的小孩
科学分类
界： 动物界 Animalia
门： 脊索动物门 Chordata
纲： 哺乳纲 Mammalia
亚纲： 有袋亚纲 Marsupialia
目： 双门齿目 Diprotodontia
亚目： 袋鼠亚目 Macropodiformes
科： 袋鼠科 Macropodidae
属： 大袋鼠属 Macropus
(只含部分)
种
红大袋鼠 Macropus rufus
东部灰大袋鼠 Macropus giganteus
西部灰大袋鼠 Macropus fuliginosus
羚大袋鼠 Macropus antilopinus
袋鼠是一类有袋类动物，属于袋鼠科（Macropodidae），“袋鼠”一词通常用来指袋鼠科中体型最大的几个物种。
一般而言，大型袋鼠面对人类在澳大利亚的开发有较高的适应力；相较之下，他们的许多小型亲戚则面临了较大的生存威胁，数量也较少。目前并没有大规模的袋鼠养殖业，不过野生的袋鼠会被猎杀并制成食用肉品，而此种产业也具有争议性[2]。
袋鼠是澳大利亚的象征物，出现在澳大利亚国徽中[3]，以及一些澳大利亚货币图案上[4]。许多澳大利亚的组织团体，如澳大利亚航空[5]，也将袋鼠作为其标志。
维基百科，自由的百科全书
跳转到: 导航, 搜索
袋鼠[1]
母东部灰大袋鼠和她的小孩
科学分类
界： 动物界 Animalia
门： 脊索动物门 Chordata
纲： 哺乳纲 Mammalia
亚纲： 有袋亚纲 Marsupialia
目： 双门齿目 Diprotodontia
亚目： 袋鼠亚目 Macropodiformes
科： 袋鼠科 Macropodidae
属： 大袋鼠属 Macropus
(只含部分)
种
红大袋鼠 Macropus rufus
东部灰大袋鼠 Macropus giganteus
西部灰大袋鼠 Macropus fuliginosus
羚大袋鼠 Macropus antilopinus
袋鼠是一类有袋类动物，属于袋鼠科（Macropodidae），“袋鼠”一词通常用来指袋鼠科中体型最大的几个物种。
一般而言，大型袋鼠面对人类在澳大利亚的开发有较高的适应力；相较之下，他们的许多小型亲戚则面临了较大的生存威胁，数量也较少。目前并没有大规模的袋鼠养殖业，不过野生的袋鼠会被猎杀并制成食用肉品，而此种产业也具有争议性[2]。
袋鼠是澳大利亚的象征物，出现在澳大利亚国徽中[3]，以及一些澳大利亚货币图案上[4]。许多澳大利亚的组织团体，如澳大利亚航空[5]，也将袋鼠作为其标志。
维基百科，自由的百科全书
跳转到: 导航, 搜索
袋鼠[1]
母东部灰大袋鼠和她的小孩
科学分类
界： 动物界 Animalia
门： 脊索动物门 Chordata
纲： 哺乳纲 Mammalia
亚纲： 有袋亚纲 Marsupialia
目： 双门齿目 Diprotodontia
亚目： 袋鼠亚目 Macropodiformes
科： 袋鼠科 Macropodidae
属： 大袋鼠属 Macropus
(只含部分)
种
红大袋鼠 Macropus rufus
东部灰大袋鼠 Macropus giganteus
西部灰大袋鼠 Macropus fuliginosus
羚大袋鼠 Macropus antilopinus
袋鼠是一类有袋类动物，属于袋鼠科（Macropodidae），“袋鼠”一词通常用来指袋鼠科中体型最大的几个物种。
一般而言，大型袋鼠面对人类在澳大利亚的开发有较高的适应力；相较之下，他们的许多小型亲戚则面临了较大的生存威胁，数量也较少。目前并没有大规模的袋鼠养殖业，不过野生的袋鼠会被猎杀并制成食用肉品，而此种产业也具有争议性[2]。
袋鼠是澳大利亚的象征物，出现在澳大利亚国徽中[3]，以及一些澳大利亚货币图案上[4]。许多澳大利亚的组织团体，如澳大利亚航空[5]，也将袋鼠作为其标志。
维基百科，自由的百科全书
跳转到: 导航, 搜索
袋鼠[1]
母东部灰大袋鼠和她的小孩
科学分类
界： 动物界 Animalia
门： 脊索动物门 Chordata
纲： 哺乳纲 Mammalia
亚纲： 有袋亚纲 Marsupialia
目： 双门齿目 Diprotodontia
亚目： 袋鼠亚目 Macropodiformes
科： 袋鼠科 Macropodidae
属： 大袋鼠属 Macropus
(只含部分)
种
红大袋鼠 Macropus rufus
东部灰大袋鼠 Macropus giganteus
西部灰大袋鼠 Macropus fuliginosus
羚大袋鼠 Macropus antilopinus
袋鼠是一类有袋类动物，属于袋鼠科（Macropodidae），“袋鼠”一词通常用来指袋鼠科中体型最大的几个物种。
一般而言，大型袋鼠面对人类在澳大利亚的开发有较高的适应力；相较之下，他们的许多小型亲戚则面临了较大的生存威胁，数量也较少。目前并没有大规模的袋鼠养殖业，不过野生的袋鼠会被猎杀并制成食用肉品，而此种产业也具有争议性[2]。
袋鼠是澳大利亚的象征物，出现在澳大利亚国徽中[3]，以及一些澳大利亚货币图案上[4]。许多澳大利亚的组织团体，如澳大利亚航空[5]，也将袋鼠作为其标志。
袋鼠是一类有袋类动物，属于袋鼠科（ Macropodidae ），「袋鼠」一词通常用来指袋鼠科中体型最大的几个物种。
袋鼠是一类有袋类动物，属于袋鼠科（ Macropodidae ），「袋鼠」一词通常用来指袋鼠科中体型最大的几个物种。 包括紅大袋鼠（ M. rufus ）、羚大袋鼠（ M. antilopinus ）、東部灰大袋鼠（ M. giganteus ）、西部灰大袋鼠（ M. fuliginosus ）；牠們全都屬於大袋鼠屬（ Macropus ）。 包括红大袋鼠（ M. rufus ）、羚大袋鼠（ M. antilopinus ）、东部灰大袋鼠（ M. giganteus ）、西部灰大袋鼠（ M. fuliginosus ）；它们全都属于大袋鼠属（ Macropus ）。
一般而言，大型袋鼠面對人類在澳洲的開發有較高的適應力；相較之下，他們的許多小型親戚則面臨了較大的生存威脅，數量也較少。 一般而言，大型袋鼠面对人类在澳洲的开发有较高的适应力；相较之下，他们的许多小型亲戚则面临了较大的生存威胁，数量也较少。 目前並沒有大規模的袋鼠養殖業，不過野生的袋鼠會被獵殺並製成食用肉品，而此種產業也具有爭議性 [2] 。 目前并没有大规模的袋鼠养殖业，不过野生的袋鼠会被猎杀并制成食用肉品，而此种产业也具有争议性 [2] 。
袋鼠是澳洲的象徵物，出現在澳洲國徽中 [3] ，以及一些澳洲貨幣圖案上 [4] 。 袋鼠是澳洲的象征物，出现在澳洲国徽中 [3] ，以及一些澳洲货币图案上 [4] 。 許多澳洲的組織團體，如澳洲航空 [5] ，也將袋鼠作為其標誌。 许多澳洲的组织团体，如澳洲航空 [5] ，也将袋鼠作为其标志。
一胎一隻小袋鼠，灰袋鼠全年可繁殖，懷孕期約 36.4 天，每胎只產一隻，剛出生的小袋鼠會自己爬到母親的育兒袋中，在袋裡待上九個多月後，才第一次離開育兒袋。 一胎一只小袋鼠，灰袋鼠全年可繁殖，怀孕期约 36.4 天，每胎只产一只，刚出生的小袋鼠会自己爬到母亲的育儿袋中，在袋里待上九个多月后，才第一次离开育儿袋。
5. 9個月時約有一公斤重，靠在母獸的背上，很少進袋裏。 5. 9个月时约有一公斤重，靠在母兽的背上，很少进袋里。
6. 10個月時仍保持在媽媽身邊一公尺內。 6. 10个月时仍保持在妈妈身边一公尺内。
7. 一年後約2公斤重，逐漸離開母獸獨立生活。 7.一年后约2公斤重，逐渐离开母兽独立生活。
袋鼠在澳洲，牠們成群活躍在草原上，以野草、野菜等為食，有時候也會為害農作物，但是由於牠們只產在澳洲，因此當地政府極力保護這種動物。 袋鼠在澳洲，它们成群活跃在草原上，以野草、野菜等为食，有时候也会为害农作物，但是由于它们只产在澳洲，因此当地政府极力保护这种动物。
不過如果牠們的數量太多，不但會把草原吃得光禿禿的，也會和牛，羊爭奪食物，所以澳洲政府仍然會視實際情況，作計劃性的捕殺，這也就是為什麼該國全力保護袋鼠，可是「跳跳肉」（袋鼠肉）依然能外銷的原因。 不过如果它们的数量太多，不但会把草原吃得光秃秃的，也会和牛，羊争夺食物，所以澳洲政府仍然会视实际情况，作计划性的捕杀，这也就是为什么该国全力保护袋鼠，可是「跳跳肉」（袋鼠肉）依然能外销的原因。
袋鼠的種類多達五十餘種，而雌袋鼠的共同特徵是腹下的袋囊；這個育兒袋不但是袋鼠寶寶小時候哺育的地方，也是牠們的避難所和搭免費「旅行車」的特等車廂呢！ 袋鼠的种类多达五十余种，而雌袋鼠的共同特征是腹下的袋囊；这个育儿袋不但是袋鼠宝宝小时候哺育的地方，也是它们的避难所和搭免费「旅行车」的特等车厢呢！ 通常，袋鼠寶寶在媽媽懷孕約三十到四十天之後就生下來，這 時候，它們會一步步爬進媽媽的育兒袋中續吸奶發育；這種哺育方 式、十分特殊。 通常，袋鼠宝宝在妈妈怀孕约三十到四十天之后就生下来，这时候，它们会一步步爬进妈妈的育儿袋中续吸奶发育；这种哺育方式、十分特殊。
袋鼠簡介 袋鼠简介
住在澳洲森林或草原 住在澳洲森林或草原
體長約 100--150 公分 , 體重約 80 斤 体长约 100--150 公分 , 体重约 80 斤
特點是媽媽有一個育兒袋 特点是妈妈有一个育儿袋
媽媽的懷孕期約 30--40 天 , 一次可產 1 胎 妈妈的怀孕期约 30--40 天 , 一次可产 1 胎
喜歡吃野草 . 野菜 , 壽命約 20 年 喜欢吃野草 . 野菜 , 寿命约 20 年
生殖 生殖
除懷孕期以外，只要雌袋鼠身體強壯，即使在哺乳期，雌袋鼠也可以交配並受孕。 除怀孕期以外，只要雌袋鼠身体强壮，即使在哺乳期，雌袋鼠也可以交配并受孕。 不過，受精卵發育到 100 個細胞時，就停止生長。 不过，受精卵发育到 100 个细胞时，就停止生长。 一直等到幼袋鼠長大，並離開育兒袋；或者幼袋鼠夭折，育兒袋空著的時候，受精卵又可繼續發育。 一直等到幼袋鼠长大，并离开育儿袋；或者幼袋鼠夭折，育儿袋空着的时候，受精卵又可继续发育。 袋鼠生殖力強，澳洲人覺得「鼠」滿為患。 袋鼠生殖力强，澳洲人觉得「鼠」满为患。
袋鼠沒有胎盤，「胎兒」在母體內不能吸收到足夠的營養，所以雌袋鼠懷孕 33 ～ 40 天，「胎兒」就要生下來。 袋鼠没有胎盘，「胎儿」在母体内不能吸收到足够的营养，所以雌袋鼠怀孕 33 ～ 40 天，「胎儿」就要生下来。 雌袋鼠生產前，會先把育兒袋清理乾 凈 ，並且用口從產道口到育兒袋舔出一條「路」，留下氣味，最後才靠著一棵樹坐下，尾巴向前伸著準備生產。 雌袋鼠生产前，会先把育儿袋清理干 净 ，并且用口从产道口到育儿袋舔出一条「路」，留下气味，最后才靠着一棵树坐下，尾巴向前伸着准备生产。 幼袋鼠很小，雌袋鼠還沒有感覺到一點痛苦時，幼袋鼠就生下來，正好落在雌袋鼠的尾巴上。 幼袋鼠很小，雌袋鼠还没有感觉到一点痛苦时，幼袋鼠就生下来，正好落在雌袋鼠的尾巴上。
袋鼠一般每胎只生一隻幼袋鼠，偶而也有生二隻、三隻、四隻的，但真正能夠長成大袋鼠的，往往只有一隻。 袋鼠一般每胎只生一只幼袋鼠，偶而也有生二只、三只、四只的，但真正能够长成大袋鼠的，往往只有一只。
育幼 育幼
幼袋鼠生下來後，雌袋鼠讓牠自己爬進育兒袋，並不用四肢和尾巴幫助牠。 幼袋鼠生下来后，雌袋鼠让它自己爬进育儿袋，并不用四肢和尾巴帮助它。 幼袋鼠爬進育兒袋後，找不到奶頭，雌袋鼠也不會幫助牠，而讓牠餓死。 幼袋鼠爬进育儿袋后，找不到奶头，雌袋鼠也不会帮助它，而让它饿死。 當幼袋鼠找到奶頭後，只要含住奶頭，每隔一段時間，奶頭會自動噴出一些乳汁給幼袋鼠吃。 当幼袋鼠找到奶头后，只要含住奶头，每隔一段时间，奶头会自动喷出一些乳汁给幼袋鼠吃。 幾個月後，母袋鼠開始訓練幼袋鼠跳躍，過一段時間，幼袋鼠就能從育兒袋跳進跳出了。 几个月后，母袋鼠开始训练幼袋鼠跳跃，过一段时间，幼袋鼠就能从育儿袋跳进跳出了。 幼袋鼠有時在育兒袋裡撒尿，母袋鼠會很快把尿舔乾 凈 。 幼袋鼠有时在育儿袋里撒尿，母袋鼠会很快把尿舔干 净 。 大約八個月以後，幼袋鼠就可以離開母袋鼠獨立生活了。 大约八个月以后，幼袋鼠就可以离开母袋鼠独立生活了。 已經獨立生活的幼袋鼠，有時還會把頭伸進育兒袋吃奶，雖然育兒袋裡已經又有了新生的幼袋鼠，母袋鼠仍舊會讓牠吃奶。 已经独立生活的幼袋鼠，有时还会把头伸进育儿袋吃奶，虽然育儿袋里已经又有了新生的幼袋鼠，母袋鼠仍旧会让它吃奶。
澳洲的袋鼠怎樣分 男生 女生 澳洲的袋鼠怎样分男生女生
●公袋鼠‧拳擊手 公袋鼠偶爾會彼此相互打架。 ●公袋鼠‧拳击手 公袋鼠偶尔会彼此相互打架。 打架時前腳不夠用時，後腳也會幫忙。 打架时前脚不够用时，后脚也会帮忙。 面對對手時，先將後腳站立，揮動前臂，接著會更換方式，用尾巴支撐在地上，用後腳懸空飛踢。 面对对手时，先将后脚站立，挥动前臂，接着会更换方式，用尾巴支撑在地上，用后脚悬空飞踢。 牠的後腳很長，且都具有銳利的尖爪，通常這一擊即可分出高下。 它的后脚很长，且都具有锐利的尖爪，通常这一击即可分出高下。
●母袋鼠‧真偉大 母袋鼠體型較公袋鼠小，因為用袋子育兒而著名。 ●母袋鼠‧真伟大母袋鼠体型较公袋鼠小，因为用袋子育儿而著名。 一隻母袋鼠可以同時擁有三個孩子，一個是長大的小袋鼠回來吸奶，一個是剛出生的嬰仔正在育兒袋內吸奶，最後一個，因為已經有二隻在吸奶，所以會待在媽媽的子宮內，延遲發育。 一只母袋鼠可以同时拥有三个孩子，一个是长大的小袋鼠回来吸奶，一个是刚出生的婴仔正在育儿袋内吸奶，最后一个，因为已经有二只在吸奶，所以会待在妈妈的子宫内，延迟发育。 母的在前腹部有一個育兒袋，內有兩個乳頭，是供小袋鼠生長之處。 母的在前腹部有一个育儿袋，内有两个乳头，是供小袋鼠生长之处。
有袋類動物最大的特徵，就是雌性腹下有個育兒袋，有些有袋類如袋熊、無尾熊等牠們的育兒袋都是向下開口，而袋鼠的育兒袋則是向上開口，且袋口的肌肉很有彈性，使在育兒袋中的小袋鼠不會掉出去。 有袋类动物最大的特征，就是雌性腹下有个育儿袋，有些有袋类如袋熊、无尾熊等它们的育儿袋都是向下开口，而袋鼠的育儿袋则是向上开口，且袋口的肌肉很有弹性，使在育儿袋中的小袋鼠不会掉出去。
母袋鼠每次懷孕約三、四十天就生下小袋鼠，接著就是靠這育兒袋來哺育小袋鼠。 母袋鼠每次怀孕约三、四十天就生下小袋鼠，接着就是靠这育儿袋来哺育小袋鼠。 母袋鼠的生殖方式很奇特，因為牠在生下小袋鼠後就會馬上再交配、再懷孕，因為袋鼠可以一次同時養育三個孩子，一個是己長大離開育兒袋的小袋鼠會再回來吮乳；一個是剛出生的小袋鼠在育兒袋裡吮乳；另一個則是還在子宮內延遲發育。 母袋鼠的生殖方式很奇特，因为它在生下小袋鼠后就会马上再交配、再怀孕，因为袋鼠可以一次同时养育三个孩子，一个是己长大离开育儿袋的小袋鼠会再回来吮乳；一个是刚出生的小袋鼠在育儿袋里吮乳；另一个则是还在子宫内延迟发育。 一般小袋鼠待在母袋鼠的育兒袋裡的時間長達九個月之久。 一般小袋鼠待在母袋鼠的育儿袋里的时间长达九个月之久。
●小袋鼠‧夠神奇 小袋鼠剛生下來的時候，還不到 一英寸 長，一英兩重，且通體發紅，全身無毛，形狀還沒固定，就連眼睛、耳朵都分不出來。 ●小袋鼠‧够神奇小袋鼠刚生下来的时候，还不到一英寸长，一英两重，且通体发红，全身无毛，形状还没固定，就连眼睛、耳朵都分不出来。
母袋鼠在產子前，會不停地舔袋子內側及產道口至育兒入口處的毛，以便嬰仔出生時，順著這條舔過的路線，抓著毛攀爬進入育兒袋內，並尋找奶頭，開始吸乳成長。 母袋鼠在产子前，会不停地舔袋子内侧及产道口至育儿入口处的毛，以便婴仔出生时，顺着这条舔过的路线，抓着毛攀爬进入育儿袋内，并寻找奶头，开始吸乳成长。
四個月大的小袋鼠開始從袋子裏面爬出來，並試著用自己的小腿來走路。 四个月大的小袋鼠开始从袋子里面爬出来，并试着用自己的小腿来走路。 小袋鼠成長到袋子不能再盛下牠的時候，毛色也變灰，此時牠大約八個月大小，稱起來大約有十四、 小袋鼠成长到袋子不能再盛下它的时候，毛色也变灰，此时它大约八个月大小，称起来大约有十四、 五磅 重。 五磅重。
袋鼠一次可以跳多遠？ 袋鼠一次可以跳多远？
袋鼠是個跳躍高手，這是一般動物所比不上的，牠隨意一跳可達 1.9 公尺寬的距離，若在情況危使得速度的時候，更可跳出９公尺寬的距離，而且跳躍的姿還非常輕鬆優雅。 袋鼠是个跳跃高手，这是一般动物所比不上的，它随意一跳可达 1.9 公尺宽的距离，若在情况危使得速度的时候，更可跳出９公尺宽的距离，而且跳跃的姿还非常轻松优雅。 同時袋鼠還有一項獨特的功夫，那就是當牠遇到敵人的時候，通常會採取站立的方式，用尾巴頂住地面，然後以懸空的後腳踢向敵人，牠的腳力可是足以踢死人的，不過袋鼠的個性大部份都很溫馴，只要不故意惹惱 舁 ，就不太會發生事故。 同时袋鼠还有一项独特的功夫，那就是当它遇到敌人的时候，通常会采取站立的方式，用尾巴顶住地面，然后以悬空的后脚踢向敌人，它的脚力可是足以踢死人的，不过袋鼠的个性大部份都很温驯，只要不故意惹恼 舁 ，就不太会发生事故。
在 澳洲 最熱鬧的城市 雪梨 ，擁有全澳洲最美麗的野生動物園，在這裏，各種您未曾親眼見過的野生動物都能讓您一睹為快了，您當然也可以看到袋鼠健碩的身姿，當袋鼠向前跳走的時候，那種力量的感覺是令人佩服的，更嘆服大自然的造化。 在 澳洲 最热闹的城市 雪梨 ，拥有全澳洲最美丽的野生动物园，在这里，各种您未曾亲眼见过的野生动物都能让您一睹为快了，您当然也可以看到袋鼠健硕的身姿，当袋鼠向前跳走的时候，那种力量的感觉是令人佩服的，更叹服大自然的造化。 小袋鼠在媽媽的懷裏，是不是很乖很討人喜愛呢？ 小袋鼠在妈妈的怀里，是不是很乖很讨人喜爱呢？ 坐落于澳洲美麗的大都市， 雪梨野生動物園 不得不說是遊客不可錯失的袋鼠觀賞勝地哦！ 坐落于澳洲美丽的大都市， 雪梨野生动物园 不得不说是游客不可错失的袋鼠观赏胜地哦！
一般而言，大型袋鼠面對人類在澳洲的開發有較高的適應力；相較之下，他們的許多小型親戚則面臨了較大的生存威脅，數量也較少。 一般而言，大型袋鼠面对人类在澳洲的开发有较高的适应力；相较之下，他们的许多小型亲戚则面临了较大的生存威胁，数量也较少。 目前並沒有大規模的袋鼠養殖業，不過野生的袋鼠會被獵殺並製成食用肉品，而此種產業也具有爭議性 [2] 。 目前并没有大规模的袋鼠养殖业，不过野生的袋鼠会被猎杀并制成食用肉品，而此种产业也具有争议性 [2] 。
袋鼠是澳洲的象徵物，出現在澳洲國徽中 [3] ，以及一些澳洲貨幣圖案上 [4] 。 袋鼠是澳洲的象征物，出现在澳洲国徽中 [3] ，以及一些澳洲货币图案上 [4] 。 許多澳洲的組織團體，如澳洲航空 [5] ，也將袋鼠作為其標誌。 许多澳洲的组织团体，如澳洲航空 [5] ，也将袋鼠作为其标志。
一胎一隻小袋鼠，灰袋鼠全年可繁殖，懷孕期約 36.4 天，每胎只產一隻，剛出生的小袋鼠會自己爬到母親的育兒袋中，在袋裡待上九個多月後，才第一次離開育兒袋。 一胎一只小袋鼠，灰袋鼠全年可繁殖，怀孕期约 36.4 天，每胎只产一只，刚出生的小袋鼠会自己爬到母亲的育儿袋中，在袋里待上九个多月后，才第一次离开育儿袋。
5. 9個月時約有一公斤重，靠在母獸的背上，很少進袋裏。 5. 9个月时约有一公斤重，靠在母兽的背上，很少进袋里。
6. 10個月時仍保持在媽媽身邊一公尺內。 6. 10个月时仍保持在妈妈身边一公尺内。
7. 一年後約2公斤重，逐漸離開母獸獨立生活。 7.一年后约2公斤重，逐渐离开母兽独立生活。
袋鼠在澳洲，牠們成群活躍在草原上，以野草、野菜等為食，有時候也會為害農作物，但是由於牠們只產在澳洲，因此當地政府極力保護這種動物。 袋鼠在澳洲，它们成群活跃在草原上，以野草、野菜等为食，有时候也会为害农作物，但是由于它们只产在澳洲，因此当地政府极力保护这种动物。
不過如果牠們的數量太多，不但會把草原吃得光禿禿的，也會和牛，羊爭奪食物，所以澳洲政府仍然會視實際情況，作計劃性的捕殺，這也就是為什麼該國全力保護袋鼠，可是「跳跳肉」（袋鼠肉）依然能外銷的原因。 不过如果它们的数量太多，不但会把草原吃得光秃秃的，也会和牛，羊争夺食物，所以澳洲政府仍然会视实际情况，作计划性的捕杀，这也就是为什么该国全力保护袋鼠，可是「跳跳肉」（袋鼠肉）依然能外销的原因。
袋鼠的種類多達五十餘種，而雌袋鼠的共同特徵是腹下的袋囊；這個育兒袋不但是袋鼠寶寶小時候哺育的地方，也是牠們的避難所和搭免費「旅行車」的特等車廂呢！ 袋鼠的种类多达五十余种，而雌袋鼠的共同特征是腹下的袋囊；这个育儿袋不但是袋鼠宝宝小时候哺育的地方，也是它们的避难所和搭免费「旅行车」的特等车厢呢！ 通常，袋鼠寶寶在媽媽懷孕約三十到四十天之後就生下來，這 時候，它們會一步步爬進媽媽的育兒袋中續吸奶發育；這種哺育方 式、十分特殊。 通常，袋鼠宝宝在妈妈怀孕约三十到四十天之后就生下来，这时候，它们会一步步爬进妈妈的育儿袋中续吸奶发育；这种哺育方式、十分特殊。
袋鼠簡介 袋鼠简介
住在澳洲森林或草原 住在澳洲森林或草原
體長約 100--150 公分 , 體重約 80 斤 体长约 100--150 公分 , 体重约 80 斤
特點是媽媽有一個育兒袋 特点是妈妈有一个育儿袋
媽媽的懷孕期約 30--40 天 , 一次可產 1 胎 妈妈的怀孕期约 30--40 天 , 一次可产 1 胎
喜歡吃野草 . 野菜 , 壽命約 20 年 喜欢吃野草 . 野菜 , 寿命约 20 年
生殖 生殖
除懷孕期以外，只要雌袋鼠身體強壯，即使在哺乳期，雌袋鼠也可以交配並受孕。 除怀孕期以外，只要雌袋鼠身体强壮，即使在哺乳期，雌袋鼠也可以交配并受孕。 不過，受精卵發育到 100 個細胞時，就停止生長。 不过，受精卵发育到 100 个细胞时，就停止生长。 一直等到幼袋鼠長大，並離開育兒袋；或者幼袋鼠夭折，育兒袋空著的時候，受精卵又可繼續發育。 一直等到幼袋鼠长大，并离开育儿袋；或者幼袋鼠夭折，育儿袋空着的时候，受精卵又可继续发育。 袋鼠生殖力強，澳洲人覺得「鼠」滿為患。 袋鼠生殖力强，澳洲人觉得「鼠」满为患。
袋鼠沒有胎盤，「胎兒」在母體內不能吸收到足夠的營養，所以雌袋鼠懷孕 33 ～ 40 天，「胎兒」就要生下來。 袋鼠没有胎盘，「胎儿」在母体内不能吸收到足够的营养，所以雌袋鼠怀孕 33 ～ 40 天，「胎儿」就要生下来。 雌袋鼠生產前，會先把育兒袋清理乾 凈 ，並且用口從產道口到育兒袋舔出一條「路」，留下氣味，最後才靠著一棵樹坐下，尾巴向前伸著準備生產。 雌袋鼠生产前，会先把育儿袋清理干 净 ，并且用口从产道口到育儿袋舔出一条「路」，留下气味，最后才靠着一棵树坐下，尾巴向前伸着准备生产。 幼袋鼠很小，雌袋鼠還沒有感覺到一點痛苦時，幼袋鼠就生下來，正好落在雌袋鼠的尾巴上。 幼袋鼠很小，雌袋鼠还没有感觉到一点痛苦时，幼袋鼠就生下来，正好落在雌袋鼠的尾巴上。
袋鼠一般每胎只生一隻幼袋鼠，偶而也有生二隻、三隻、四隻的，但真正能夠長成大袋鼠的，往往只有一隻。 袋鼠一般每胎只生一只幼袋鼠，偶而也有生二只、三只、四只的，但真正能够长成大袋鼠的，往往只有一只。
育幼 育幼
幼袋鼠生下來後，雌袋鼠讓牠自己爬進育兒袋，並不用四肢和尾巴幫助牠。 幼袋鼠生下来后，雌袋鼠让它自己爬进育儿袋，并不用四肢和尾巴帮助它。 幼袋鼠爬進育兒袋後，找不到奶頭，雌袋鼠也不會幫助牠，而讓牠餓死。 幼袋鼠爬进育儿袋后，找不到奶头，雌袋鼠也不会帮助它，而让它饿死。 當幼袋鼠找到奶頭後，只要含住奶頭，每隔一段時間，奶頭會自動噴出一些乳汁給幼袋鼠吃。 当幼袋鼠找到奶头后，只要含住奶头，每隔一段时间，奶头会自动喷出一些乳汁给幼袋鼠吃。 幾個月後，母袋鼠開始訓練幼袋鼠跳躍，過一段時間，幼袋鼠就能從育兒袋跳進跳出了。 几个月后，母袋鼠开始训练幼袋鼠跳跃，过一段时间，幼袋鼠就能从育儿袋跳进跳出了。 幼袋鼠有時在育兒袋裡撒尿，母袋鼠會很快把尿舔乾 凈 。 幼袋鼠有时在育儿袋里撒尿，母袋鼠会很快把尿舔干 净 。 大約八個月以後，幼袋鼠就可以離開母袋鼠獨立生活了。 大约八个月以后，幼袋鼠就可以离开母袋鼠独立生活了。 已經獨立生活的幼袋鼠，有時還會把頭伸進育兒袋吃奶，雖然育兒袋裡已經又有了新生的幼袋鼠，母袋鼠仍舊會讓牠吃奶。 已经独立生活的幼袋鼠，有时还会把头伸进育儿袋吃奶，虽然育儿袋里已经又有了新生的幼袋鼠，母袋鼠仍旧会让它吃奶。
澳洲的袋鼠怎樣分 男生 女生 澳洲的袋鼠怎样分男生女生
●公袋鼠‧拳擊手 公袋鼠偶爾會彼此相互打架。 ●公袋鼠‧拳击手 公袋鼠偶尔会彼此相互打架。 打架時前腳不夠用時，後腳也會幫忙。 打架时前脚不够用时，后脚也会帮忙。 面對對手時，先將後腳站立，揮動前臂，接著會更換方式，用尾巴支撐在地上，用後腳懸空飛踢。 面对对手时，先将后脚站立，挥动前臂，接着会更换方式，用尾巴支撑在地上，用后脚悬空飞踢。 牠的後腳很長，且都具有銳利的尖爪，通常這一擊即可分出高下。 它的后脚很长，且都具有锐利的尖爪，通常这一击即可分出高下。
●母袋鼠‧真偉大 母袋鼠體型較公袋鼠小，因為用袋子育兒而著名。 ●母袋鼠‧真伟大母袋鼠体型较公袋鼠小，因为用袋子育儿而著名。 一隻母袋鼠可以同時擁有三個孩子，一個是長大的小袋鼠回來吸奶，一個是剛出生的嬰仔正在育兒袋內吸奶，最後一個，因為已經有二隻在吸奶，所以會待在媽媽的子宮內，延遲發育。 一只母袋鼠可以同时拥有三个孩子，一个是长大的小袋鼠回来吸奶，一个是刚出生的婴仔正在育儿袋内吸奶，最后一个，因为已经有二只在吸奶，所以会待在妈妈的子宫内，延迟发育。 母的在前腹部有一個育兒袋，內有兩個乳頭，是供小袋鼠生長之處。 母的在前腹部有一个育儿袋，内有两个乳头，是供小袋鼠生长之处。
有袋類動物最大的特徵，就是雌性腹下有個育兒袋，有些有袋類如袋熊、無尾熊等牠們的育兒袋都是向下開口，而袋鼠的育兒袋則是向上開口，且袋口的肌肉很有彈性，使在育兒袋中的小袋鼠不會掉出去。 有袋类动物最大的特征，就是雌性腹下有个育儿袋，有些有袋类如袋熊、无尾熊等它们的育儿袋都是向下开口，而袋鼠的育儿袋则是向上开口，且袋口的肌肉很有弹性，使在育儿袋中的小袋鼠不会掉出去。
母袋鼠每次懷孕約三、四十天就生下小袋鼠，接著就是靠這育兒袋來哺育小袋鼠。 母袋鼠每次怀孕约三、四十天就生下小袋鼠，接着就是靠这育儿袋来哺育小袋鼠。 母袋鼠的生殖方式很奇特，因為牠在生下小袋鼠後就會馬上再交配、再懷孕，因為袋鼠可以一次同時養育三個孩子，一個是己長大離開育兒袋的小袋鼠會再回來吮乳；一個是剛出生的小袋鼠在育兒袋裡吮乳；另一個則是還在子宮內延遲發育。 母袋鼠的生殖方式很奇特，因为它在生下小袋鼠后就会马上再交配、再怀孕，因为袋鼠可以一次同时养育三个孩子，一个是己长大离开育儿袋的小袋鼠会再回来吮乳；一个是刚出生的小袋鼠在育儿袋里吮乳；另一个则是还在子宫内延迟发育。 一般小袋鼠待在母袋鼠的育兒袋裡的時間長達九個月之久。 一般小袋鼠待在母袋鼠的育儿袋里的时间长达九个月之久。
●小袋鼠‧夠神奇 小袋鼠剛生下來的時候，還不到 一英寸 長，一英兩重，且通體發紅，全身無毛，形狀還沒固定，就連眼睛、耳朵都分不出來。 ●小袋鼠‧够神奇小袋鼠刚生下来的时候，还不到一英寸长，一英两重，且通体发红，全身无毛，形状还没固定，就连眼睛、耳朵都分不出来。
母袋鼠在產子前，會不停地舔袋子內側及產道口至育兒入口處的毛，以便嬰仔出生時，順著這條舔過的路線，抓著毛攀爬進入育兒袋內，並尋找奶頭，開始吸乳成長。 母袋鼠在产子前，会不停地舔袋子内侧及产道口至育儿入口处的毛，以便婴仔出生时，顺着这条舔过的路线，抓着毛攀爬进入育儿袋内，并寻找奶头，开始吸乳成长。
四個月大的小袋鼠開始從袋子裏面爬出來，並試著用自己的小腿來走路。 四个月大的小袋鼠开始从袋子里面爬出来，并试着用自己的小腿来走路。 小袋鼠成長到袋子不能再盛下牠的時候，毛色也變灰，此時牠大約八個月大小，稱起來大約有十四、 小袋鼠成长到袋子不能再盛下它的时候，毛色也变灰，此时它大约八个月大小，称起来大约有十四、 五磅 重。 五磅重。
袋鼠一次可以跳多遠？ 袋鼠一次可以跳多远？
袋鼠是個跳躍高手，這是一般動物所比不上的，牠隨意一跳可達 1.9 公尺寬的距離，若在情況危使得速度的時候，更可跳出９公尺寬的距離，而且跳躍的姿還非常輕鬆優雅。 袋鼠是个跳跃高手，这是一般动物所比不上的，它随意一跳可达 1.9 公尺宽的距离，若在情况危使得速度的时候，更可跳出９公尺宽的距离，而且跳跃的姿还非常轻松优雅。 同時袋鼠還有一項獨特的功夫，那就是當牠遇到敵人的時候，通常會採取站立的方式，用尾巴頂住地面，然後以懸空的後腳踢向敵人，牠的腳力可是足以踢死人的，不過袋鼠的個性大部份都很溫馴，只要不故意惹惱 舁 ，就不太會發生事故。 同时袋鼠还有一项独特的功夫，那就是当它遇到敌人的时候，通常会采取站立的方式，用尾巴顶住地面，然后以悬空的后脚踢向敌人，它的脚力可是足以踢死人的，不过袋鼠的个性大部份都很温驯，只要不故意惹恼 舁 ，就不太会发生事故。
在 澳洲 最熱鬧的城市 雪梨 ，擁有全澳洲最美麗的野生動物園，在這裏，各種您未曾親眼見過的野生動物都能讓您一睹為快了，您當然也可以看到袋鼠健碩的身姿，當袋鼠向前跳走的時候，那種力量的感覺是令人佩服的，更嘆服大自然的造化。 在 澳洲 最热闹的城市 雪梨 ，拥有全澳洲最美丽的野生动物园，在这里，各种您未曾亲眼见过的野生动物都能让您一睹为快了，您当然也可以看到袋鼠健硕的身姿，当袋鼠向前跳走的时候，那种力量的感觉是令人佩服的，更叹服大自然的造化。 小袋鼠在媽媽的懷裏，是不是很乖很討人喜愛呢？ 小袋鼠在妈妈的怀里，是不是很乖很讨人喜爱呢？ 坐落于澳洲美麗的大都市， 雪梨野生動物園 不得不說是遊客不可錯失的袋鼠觀賞勝地哦！ 坐落于澳洲美丽的大都市， 雪梨野生动物园 不得不说是游客不可错失的袋鼠观赏胜地哦！
Video: Koala Saved By Australian Firefighter----February 12, 2009
Video: Koala Saved By Australian Firefighter February 12, 2009
Tagged: Australia koala rescue wildfire, Australia wildfires, fireman gives koala a drink, koala bear rescue video, koala fireman drink, wildfire koala rescue
Email This Snark
Sam the Koala Bear was caught in the horrible wildfires going on in Australia. She gets a drink and a rescue from a wonderful firefighter in this video! Glad to report Sam is recovering well, and has a new BFF Koala named Bob at the wildlife rescue center. Sam suffered second degree burns to her paws and will take seven to eight months to recover, while Bob has three burned paws with third degree burns and should be well enough to return to the bush in about four months.
“They keep putting their arms around each other and giving each other hugs. They really have made friends and it is quite beautiful to see after all this. It’s been horrific.” Kudos to the firefighters in Australia, and may God protect you all!
Tagged: Australia koala rescue wildfire, Australia wildfires, fireman gives koala a drink, koala bear rescue video, koala fireman drink, wildfire koala rescue
Email This Snark
Sam the Koala Bear was caught in the horrible wildfires going on in Australia. She gets a drink and a rescue from a wonderful firefighter in this video! Glad to report Sam is recovering well, and has a new BFF Koala named Bob at the wildlife rescue center. Sam suffered second degree burns to her paws and will take seven to eight months to recover, while Bob has three burned paws with third degree burns and should be well enough to return to the bush in about four months.
“They keep putting their arms around each other and giving each other hugs. They really have made friends and it is quite beautiful to see after all this. It’s been horrific.” Kudos to the firefighters in Australia, and may God protect you all!
Video: Koala Saved By Australian Firefighter February 12, 2009
Video: Koala Saved By Australian Firefighter February 12, 2009
Tagged: australia koala rescue wildfire, australia wildfires, fireman gives koala a drink, koala bear rescue video, koala fireman drink, wildfire koala rescue
Email This Snark
Sam the Koala Bear was caught in the horrible wildfires going on in Australia. She gets a drink and a rescue from a wonderful firefighter in this video! Glad to report Sam is recovering well, and has a new BFF Koala named Bob at the wildlife rescue center. Sam suffered second degree burns to her paws and will take seven to eight months to recover, while Bob has three burned paws with third degree burns and should be well enough to return to the bush in about four months.
“They keep putting their arms around each other and giving each other hugs. They really have made friends and it is quite beautiful to see after all this. It’s been horrific.” Kudos to the firefighters in Australia, and may God protect you all!
Tagged: australia koala rescue wildfire, australia wildfires, fireman gives koala a drink, koala bear rescue video, koala fireman drink, wildfire koala rescue
Email This Snark
Sam the Koala Bear was caught in the horrible wildfires going on in Australia. She gets a drink and a rescue from a wonderful firefighter in this video! Glad to report Sam is recovering well, and has a new BFF Koala named Bob at the wildlife rescue center. Sam suffered second degree burns to her paws and will take seven to eight months to recover, while Bob has three burned paws with third degree burns and should be well enough to return to the bush in about four months.
“They keep putting their arms around each other and giving each other hugs. They really have made friends and it is quite beautiful to see after all this. It’s been horrific.” Kudos to the firefighters in Australia, and may God protect you all!
Giant Pandas Introduction
Giant Panda
Giant Pandas Introduction
Where Giant Pandas Live
What Giant Pandas Eat
Giant Panda Anatomy
Giant Panda Life Cycle
Wild Panda Behavior
Pandas in Captivity
Threats to Giant Pandas
Giant Panda Conservation
Rare Bears
The giant panda is a medium-sized black-and-white bear that lives only in the mountainous temperate forests of southwest China. Giant pandas eat a diet of bamboo. The giant panda is one of the most endangered animals on Earth. Only about 1,600 of these rare bears are left. This number includes more than 160 pandas living in zoos and breeding centers around the world, mostly in China.
Creatures of the Forest
Giant pandas live in a few isolated mountain ranges in the provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu in south-central China. They live in broadleaf and coniferous forests with a dense understory of bamboo, at elevations between 1,500 m and 3,000 m. Torrential rains, dense mists, and heavy cloud cover characterize these forests throughout much of the year. The giant panda has lived in bamboo forests for several million years. It is a highly specialized animal, with unique adaptations.
Bamboo for Every Meal
Bamboo is the giant panda's favorite food. Adult giant pandas will spend 10 to 16 hours a day finding and eating bamboo. They eat different parts of the plant depending on the time of year. In the summer and autumn, pandas munch mostly on leaves. Winter means a diet of tough stems. Spring provides tender, young bamboo shoots.
A giant panda’s digestive system is more similar to that of a carnivore than an herbivore. Because bamboo does not provide much nutrition, a panda needs to eat a large amount of food. It may eat up to 20 kg of bamboo each day to get all the nutrients it needs.
Panda Parts
Giant pandas stand 1 m tall at the shoulder (on all four legs) and are 1.5 m long. Males are larger than females, weighing up to 115 kg in the wild. Females rarely reach 100 kg.
Giant pandas have a very specialized anatomy linking them to bamboo for survival. Their front paws are specially designed to allow them to hold bamboo stalks. Giant pandas appear to have thumbs. But these "thumbs" are really extensions of the wrist bone. To hold a piece of bamboo, a panda wraps its fingers around one side of the stalk. Then it holds it in place by pushing the wrist bone, or pseudo-thumb, forward.
Click on the panda below to discover more about how its body is designed.
K.Feng/GLOBIO.org
Giving Birth in the Wild
A mother panda takes gentle care of her tiny cub. In the wild, cubs stay with their mothers until they are two to three years old.
©K.Feng/GLOBIO.org
Female giant pandas can become pregnant only once a year in the spring. Barking calls and scents draw males and females to each other. Females give birth between 95 and 160 days after mating. Females may give birth to two young pandas, but usually only one survives.
Pink Pandas?
The bodies of newborn giant panda cubs are completely pink with a sparse covering of white hair. Giant pandas are not giants when they are born. Their eyes are closed, like a kitten, and they weigh only 120-175 g. They are around 15 cm long - about the size of a hotdog!
Giant pandas are tiny and helpless when they are born. Notice the tail. Adult pandas also have a tail, but it is smaller compared to its body size.
©K.Feng/GLOBIO.org
After one week, dark patches begin to appear near the eyes and ears. Then the skin on their legs and backs begins to darken. Soon, black hair will grow in these areas and white hair everywhere else. Baby pandas’ eyes open when they are about one month old. They begin to crawl when they are three to four months old.
Mother Knows Best
Giant pandas are cubs until they are about two years old. Like all bears, they start to explore the world outside the den once they are strong enough to follow their mother’s lead. Giant panda mothers spend most of the time looking for bamboo shoots, stems, and tender leaves.
Young giant pandas use this time to learn about the forest and to climb trees. Cubs love to climb, and they quickly become very skilled. They have sharp, strong claws on both their front and back feet. Cubs may stay with their mothers for up to three years before striking out on their own.
Life Out in the Wild
An adult giant panda spends much of its day resting, seeking food, and eating. Unlike other bears from temperate climates, giant pandas do not hibernate. Until recently, scientists thought giant pandas spent most of their lives alone. They believed that males and females met only during the breeding season.
Recent studies paint a different picture. Small groups of giant pandas share a large territory and sometimes meet outside the breeding season. Much remains to be learned about the secret lives of these animals. Every new discovery helps scientists in their battle to save this species.
Giving Birth in Captivity
Giant pandas are also born in captivity. Captive breeding centers were started because giant pandas are so endangered. The giant pandas’ naturally slow breeding rate prevents a population from recovering quickly from illegal hunting, habitat loss, and other human-related causes of death. The captive breeding centers provide a protected place for giant pandas to breed and for baby pandas to grow up. One of the most famous centers for breeding baby pandas is the Wolong Nature Reserve.
What to do with Twins
When pandas are born in captivity, they often have twins. Panda mothers will only care for one baby at a time. This means the keepers at the breeding center have to help care for the babies and keep them healthy. They feed the babies milk and keep them warm in incubators. The mother panda still gets to take care of both babies, but she cares for them one at a time.
Mr. Huang Yan checks a two-week-old baby panda to make sure it is developing properly. The baby is beginning to show its black coloring.
©K.Feng/GLOBIO.org
Growing Up in Captivity
In captivity, young giant pandas remain together and have a chance to play. In the wild, it would be very rare for a young giant panda to meet another cub. This is because mother pandas live alone rather than in groups with other pandas. When panda cubs play, they appear to have lots of fun. But they are also learning important skills. For example, researchers hide snacks in hanging plastic tubes to teach the cubs how to search for food.
Branching Out From Bamboo
Giant pandas are now becoming easier to raise in captivity. This is because their keepers have discovered what foods to feed them. Cubs get a bowl of special milk for breakfast and lunch until they are about two years old. The milk is made by boiling rice and adding vitamins. Between the age of seven and nine months, panda cubs begin to snack on tender bamboo shoots. Other foods captive giant pandas eat include sugar cane, carrots, apples, and sweet potatoes. They also eat “panda bread” made from a mixture of ground bamboo, grains, and assorted vitamins and minerals.
Giant panda cubs in captivity are given a special milk porridge twice a day. Their keepers make sure they are getting plenty to eat and that they are growing well.
©K.Feng/GLOBIO.org
Living Up to Their Name
Giant panda cubs grow quickly. Every few days, the staff at the breeding center must weigh them to check on their development. That includes lifting them onto a scale. This isn’t an easy job when the panda weighs almost as much as you do! No wonder they’re called giant pandas!
Pandas and People
In China, people and giant pandas have been living together for thousands of years. But China’s human population has been steadily growing. It is now the largest in the world. More people means more land is needed for farming. It also means more forests are cut for wood to build and heat houses. Loss of habitat in lowland areas has forced pandas to live only in the mountains.
Habitat Loss
The most damaging result of development has been that it has divided the panda’s habitat into little islands of forest. Today, many pandas are isolated in these small sections of forest, because they will cross into areas where humans live. The result is that the giant pandas cannot connect with one another to mate and have babies.
Make Room for Pandas
People are trying to help the giant panda survive by creating protected areas and breeding centers. China has 37 official areas for protecting the giant panda. All of these areas are in mountainous southwestern China. The Wolong Nature Reserve is one of the most famous.
The Role of the Wolong Nature Reserve
The protected temperate forest of Wolong Nature Reserve is a critical habitat for the survival of the endangered giant panda.
©G.Ellis/GLOBIO.orgWolong is famous for its giant panda breeding center called the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. Wolong's temperate forest is an extraordinary and beautiful place full of other rare mammals including the red panda, beautiful birds, insects, and plants found nowhere else in the world. The giant panda is an umbrella species. Protecting the panda protects the habitat for many other wild plants and animals that are critical to the biodiversity of the forest.
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Giant Pandas Introduction
Where Giant Pandas Live
What Giant Pandas Eat
Giant Panda Anatomy
Giant Panda Life Cycle
Wild Panda Behavior
Pandas in Captivity
Threats to Giant Pandas
Giant Panda Conservation
Rare Bears
The giant panda is a medium-sized black-and-white bear that lives only in the mountainous temperate forests of southwest China. Giant pandas eat a diet of bamboo. The giant panda is one of the most endangered animals on Earth. Only about 1,600 of these rare bears are left. This number includes more than 160 pandas living in zoos and breeding centers around the world, mostly in China.
Creatures of the Forest
Giant pandas live in a few isolated mountain ranges in the provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu in south-central China. They live in broadleaf and coniferous forests with a dense understory of bamboo, at elevations between 1,500 m and 3,000 m. Torrential rains, dense mists, and heavy cloud cover characterize these forests throughout much of the year. The giant panda has lived in bamboo forests for several million years. It is a highly specialized animal, with unique adaptations.
Bamboo for Every Meal
Bamboo is the giant panda's favorite food. Adult giant pandas will spend 10 to 16 hours a day finding and eating bamboo. They eat different parts of the plant depending on the time of year. In the summer and autumn, pandas munch mostly on leaves. Winter means a diet of tough stems. Spring provides tender, young bamboo shoots.
A giant panda’s digestive system is more similar to that of a carnivore than an herbivore. Because bamboo does not provide much nutrition, a panda needs to eat a large amount of food. It may eat up to 20 kg of bamboo each day to get all the nutrients it needs.
Panda Parts
Giant pandas stand 1 m tall at the shoulder (on all four legs) and are 1.5 m long. Males are larger than females, weighing up to 115 kg in the wild. Females rarely reach 100 kg.
Giant pandas have a very specialized anatomy linking them to bamboo for survival. Their front paws are specially designed to allow them to hold bamboo stalks. Giant pandas appear to have thumbs. But these "thumbs" are really extensions of the wrist bone. To hold a piece of bamboo, a panda wraps its fingers around one side of the stalk. Then it holds it in place by pushing the wrist bone, or pseudo-thumb, forward.
Click on the panda below to discover more about how its body is designed.
K.Feng/GLOBIO.org
Giving Birth in the Wild
A mother panda takes gentle care of her tiny cub. In the wild, cubs stay with their mothers until they are two to three years old.
©K.Feng/GLOBIO.org
Female giant pandas can become pregnant only once a year in the spring. Barking calls and scents draw males and females to each other. Females give birth between 95 and 160 days after mating. Females may give birth to two young pandas, but usually only one survives.
Pink Pandas?
The bodies of newborn giant panda cubs are completely pink with a sparse covering of white hair. Giant pandas are not giants when they are born. Their eyes are closed, like a kitten, and they weigh only 120-175 g. They are around 15 cm long - about the size of a hotdog!
Giant pandas are tiny and helpless when they are born. Notice the tail. Adult pandas also have a tail, but it is smaller compared to its body size.
©K.Feng/GLOBIO.org
After one week, dark patches begin to appear near the eyes and ears. Then the skin on their legs and backs begins to darken. Soon, black hair will grow in these areas and white hair everywhere else. Baby pandas’ eyes open when they are about one month old. They begin to crawl when they are three to four months old.
Mother Knows Best
Giant pandas are cubs until they are about two years old. Like all bears, they start to explore the world outside the den once they are strong enough to follow their mother’s lead. Giant panda mothers spend most of the time looking for bamboo shoots, stems, and tender leaves.
Young giant pandas use this time to learn about the forest and to climb trees. Cubs love to climb, and they quickly become very skilled. They have sharp, strong claws on both their front and back feet. Cubs may stay with their mothers for up to three years before striking out on their own.
Life Out in the Wild
An adult giant panda spends much of its day resting, seeking food, and eating. Unlike other bears from temperate climates, giant pandas do not hibernate. Until recently, scientists thought giant pandas spent most of their lives alone. They believed that males and females met only during the breeding season.
Recent studies paint a different picture. Small groups of giant pandas share a large territory and sometimes meet outside the breeding season. Much remains to be learned about the secret lives of these animals. Every new discovery helps scientists in their battle to save this species.
Giving Birth in Captivity
Giant pandas are also born in captivity. Captive breeding centers were started because giant pandas are so endangered. The giant pandas’ naturally slow breeding rate prevents a population from recovering quickly from illegal hunting, habitat loss, and other human-related causes of death. The captive breeding centers provide a protected place for giant pandas to breed and for baby pandas to grow up. One of the most famous centers for breeding baby pandas is the Wolong Nature Reserve.
What to do with Twins
When pandas are born in captivity, they often have twins. Panda mothers will only care for one baby at a time. This means the keepers at the breeding center have to help care for the babies and keep them healthy. They feed the babies milk and keep them warm in incubators. The mother panda still gets to take care of both babies, but she cares for them one at a time.
Mr. Huang Yan checks a two-week-old baby panda to make sure it is developing properly. The baby is beginning to show its black coloring.
©K.Feng/GLOBIO.org
Growing Up in Captivity
In captivity, young giant pandas remain together and have a chance to play. In the wild, it would be very rare for a young giant panda to meet another cub. This is because mother pandas live alone rather than in groups with other pandas. When panda cubs play, they appear to have lots of fun. But they are also learning important skills. For example, researchers hide snacks in hanging plastic tubes to teach the cubs how to search for food.
Branching Out From Bamboo
Giant pandas are now becoming easier to raise in captivity. This is because their keepers have discovered what foods to feed them. Cubs get a bowl of special milk for breakfast and lunch until they are about two years old. The milk is made by boiling rice and adding vitamins. Between the age of seven and nine months, panda cubs begin to snack on tender bamboo shoots. Other foods captive giant pandas eat include sugar cane, carrots, apples, and sweet potatoes. They also eat “panda bread” made from a mixture of ground bamboo, grains, and assorted vitamins and minerals.
Giant panda cubs in captivity are given a special milk porridge twice a day. Their keepers make sure they are getting plenty to eat and that they are growing well.
©K.Feng/GLOBIO.org
Living Up to Their Name
Giant panda cubs grow quickly. Every few days, the staff at the breeding center must weigh them to check on their development. That includes lifting them onto a scale. This isn’t an easy job when the panda weighs almost as much as you do! No wonder they’re called giant pandas!
Pandas and People
In China, people and giant pandas have been living together for thousands of years. But China’s human population has been steadily growing. It is now the largest in the world. More people means more land is needed for farming. It also means more forests are cut for wood to build and heat houses. Loss of habitat in lowland areas has forced pandas to live only in the mountains.
Habitat Loss
The most damaging result of development has been that it has divided the panda’s habitat into little islands of forest. Today, many pandas are isolated in these small sections of forest, because they will cross into areas where humans live. The result is that the giant pandas cannot connect with one another to mate and have babies.
Make Room for Pandas
People are trying to help the giant panda survive by creating protected areas and breeding centers. China has 37 official areas for protecting the giant panda. All of these areas are in mountainous southwestern China. The Wolong Nature Reserve is one of the most famous.
The Role of the Wolong Nature Reserve
The protected temperate forest of Wolong Nature Reserve is a critical habitat for the survival of the endangered giant panda.
©G.Ellis/GLOBIO.orgWolong is famous for its giant panda breeding center called the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. Wolong's temperate forest is an extraordinary and beautiful place full of other rare mammals including the red panda, beautiful birds, insects, and plants found nowhere else in the world. The giant panda is an umbrella species. Protecting the panda protects the habitat for many other wild plants and animals that are critical to the biodiversity of the forest.
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Koala Not a Dwarf of Prehistoric Versions Dani Cooper, ABC Science Online
Koala Not a Dwarf of Prehistoric Versions
Dani Cooper, ABC Science Online
Dec. 16, 2008 -- Australia's iconic koala is not a dwarf and the finding has major implications for theories on what happened to the continent's prehistoric megafauna, a Queensland palaeontologist said.
Gilbert Price, of the University of Queensland's Center for Microscopy and Microanalysis, said there has been a long-held view that modern koalas were a dwarf version of the giant prehistoric koala that lived between 30,000 and 700,000 years ago.
However, in a paper published in Quaternary Science Reviews, Price said modern koalas are a separate species that at times coexisted with the Late Pleistocene giant Phascolarctos stirtoni, which weighed between 20 and 30 kilograms.
Gilbert used improved dating techniques to analyze fossils and found that between 300,000 and 500,000 years ago the two koalas were both living in Australian trees.
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"It's fascinating that up until fairly recently in geological terms we did have two types of koalas kicking around," said Gilbert. "The fossil records do suggest that they lived in the same place at the same time [perhaps] there is something about their sizes that allowed them to fill a slightly different ecological niche.
"The big question is why one koala species survived past 50,000 years ago and the other didn't make it."
Gilbert said understanding this may help prevent the modern-day koala from becoming extinct. However he said a lack of well-dated fossil records makes it difficult to determine the true ancestor of the modern koala.
He said his finding also suggests that the debate about why Australia's megafauna became extinct need to be revisited.
"My work shows we've got to sort out this dwarfing hypothesis first," he said.
The "dwarfing hypothesis" was originally developed to explain the body-size relationship between extinct Pleistocene mammalian megafauna and smaller-sized, similar-looking, modern-day animals, said Gilbert.
It has been applied to other present-day Australian mammals including the grey kangaroo, Tasmanian devil and the koala. Gilbert said the dwarfing phenomena has been used to support opposing megafauna extinction theories.
Next »21« Previous
Dani Cooper, ABC Science Online
Dec. 16, 2008 -- Australia's iconic koala is not a dwarf and the finding has major implications for theories on what happened to the continent's prehistoric megafauna, a Queensland palaeontologist said.
Gilbert Price, of the University of Queensland's Center for Microscopy and Microanalysis, said there has been a long-held view that modern koalas were a dwarf version of the giant prehistoric koala that lived between 30,000 and 700,000 years ago.
However, in a paper published in Quaternary Science Reviews, Price said modern koalas are a separate species that at times coexisted with the Late Pleistocene giant Phascolarctos stirtoni, which weighed between 20 and 30 kilograms.
Gilbert used improved dating techniques to analyze fossils and found that between 300,000 and 500,000 years ago the two koalas were both living in Australian trees.
Related Content:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Koala at Risk for Extinction
ABC Science Online
How Stuff Works: Koalas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It's fascinating that up until fairly recently in geological terms we did have two types of koalas kicking around," said Gilbert. "The fossil records do suggest that they lived in the same place at the same time [perhaps] there is something about their sizes that allowed them to fill a slightly different ecological niche.
"The big question is why one koala species survived past 50,000 years ago and the other didn't make it."
Gilbert said understanding this may help prevent the modern-day koala from becoming extinct. However he said a lack of well-dated fossil records makes it difficult to determine the true ancestor of the modern koala.
He said his finding also suggests that the debate about why Australia's megafauna became extinct need to be revisited.
"My work shows we've got to sort out this dwarfing hypothesis first," he said.
The "dwarfing hypothesis" was originally developed to explain the body-size relationship between extinct Pleistocene mammalian megafauna and smaller-sized, similar-looking, modern-day animals, said Gilbert.
It has been applied to other present-day Australian mammals including the grey kangaroo, Tasmanian devil and the koala. Gilbert said the dwarfing phenomena has been used to support opposing megafauna extinction theories.
Next »21« Previous
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