Many zoologists studying pandas in the wild, however, argue that the two species of pandas should be placed in a family of their own. Pandas eat bamboo. The giant panda eats bamboo shoots, as well as bamboo stems and leaves. The red panda eats bamboo leaves. This thumb, which is a bone covered by a fleshy pad, grows from the wrist of each forepaw.
Pandas also have true thumbs, which they use as fingers.
Unlike most plant-eating animals, pandas have inefficient digestive systems that cannot easily change plant food into energy. As a result, pandas must eat large quantities of bamboo to get enough energy. The giant panda has a white, chubby body with black legs and a broad band of black across the shoulders. The female giant panda gives birth once a year to one or two cubs. The mother, who normally spends about 12 hours per day feeding, stays with the newborn cub for up to 10 days without feeding.