Their head and body length is 120 to 190cm, and adults weigh 85 to 125kg. Specialized features include broad, flat molars modified for crushing, and an enlarged wristbone functioning as an opposable thumb - both adaptations for eating bamboo. A giant panda may consume 12 to 18kg of bamboo a day to meet its energy requirements. Giant pandas inhabit the bamboo forest zone between 1,200m and 3,400m. Formerly they were found in riverine valleys at lower elevations, but these areas are now settled by humans.
Giant pandas are generally solitary, each adult having a well-defined home range.
A male's home range overlaps with those of several females. Although encounters are rare outside the brief mating season, pandas communicate fairly often mostly through vocalization and scent marking. Download the entire 'Giant Panda Threatened Species Account' for the latest, detailed information. Introduction Distribution Population Threats Conserving the Giant Panda Conservation and Research Activities Legal Status Captive Breeding References Download in MS Word format . Download in PDF Format .