A giant panda breaking into a trot or a slow run will often tumble and roll down hillsides. Giant panda babies do this often and find it extremely pleasurable. The hind feet of the giant panda lacks the heel pads found in the other seven bear species and are not as strong as the front feet. Giant pandas are believed to be very competent swimmers swimming with a style similar to a dog with their heads out of the water. The basic fur color of the giant panda is white with black eye patches, ears, legs, feet, chest, and shoulders.
White areas are different shades of white ranging from pure white to orangish or a light brown.
There is also speculation that its striking color pattern may be a clear message to other pandas to stay away since the giant panda is an extremely solitary animal. The fur of the giant panda is thick and coarse. It consists of a coarse outer layer and a very dense, wooly-like underfur. It is commonly believed that the fur and coloring of the pandas makes for good camouflage in the wild. Since giant pandas live in dense forests of bamboo, where sunlight creates patterns of light and dark shadows, it makes the giant pandas hard to distinguish in that environment.