The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) ("black-and-white cat-foot") is a mammal classified in the bear family, Ursidae, native to central-western and southwestern China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, ears and on its rotund body. Though technically a carnivore, the panda has a diet which is 98% bamboo. However, they may eat other foods such as honey, eggs, fish, and yams. The Giant Panda is an endangered animal; an estimated 3,000 pandas live in the wild[2][3] and over 180 were reported to live in captivity by August 2006 in mainland China[3] (another source by the end of 2006 put the figure for China at 221[4]), with twenty pandas living outside of China.[citation needed] However, reports show that the numbers of wild panda are on the rise.[5][6] The giant panda has long been a favorite of the public, at least partly on account of the fact that the species has an appealing baby-like cuteness that makes it seem to resemble a living teddy bear. The fact that it is usually depicted reclining peacefully eating bamboo, as opposed to hunting, also adds to its image of innocence. Though the giant panda is often assumed docile because of their cuteness, they have been known to attack humans, usually assumed to be out of irritation rather than predatory behavior. The Giant Panda has a very distinctive black-and-white coat. Adults measure around 1.5 m long and around 75 cm tall at the shoulder. Males can weigh up to 115 kg (253 pounds). Females are generally smaller than males, and can occasionally weigh up to 100 kg (220 pounds). Giant Pandas live in mountainous regions, such as Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, and Tibet. While the Chinese dragon has been historically a national emblem for China, since the latter half of the 20th century the Giant Panda has also become an informal national emblem for China. Its image appears on a large number of modern Chinese commemorative silver, gold, and platinum coins. The Giant Panda has an unusual paw, with a "thumb" and five fingers; the "thumb" is actually a modified sesamoid bone, which helps the panda to hold the bamboo while eating. Stephen Jay Gould wrote an essay about this, then used the title The Panda's Thumb for a book of essays concerned with evolution and intelligent design. The Giant Panda has a short tail, approximately 15 cm long. Giant Pandas can usually live to be 20-30 years old while living in captivity. Until recently, scientists thought giant pandas spent most of their lives alone, with males and females meeting only during the breeding season. Recent studies paint a different picture, in which small groups of pandas share a large territory and sometimes meet outside the breeding season.[citation needed] Like most subtropical mammals, but unlike most bears, the giant panda does not hibernate. [edit] Diet Pandas eating bamboo at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.Despite its taxonomic classification as a carnivore, the panda has a diet that is primarily herbivorous, which consists almost exclusively of bamboo. This is an evolutionarily recent adaptation. Pandas lack the proper enzymes to digest bamboo efficiently, and thus derive little energy and little protein from it. While primarily herbivorous, the panda still retains decidedly ursine teeth, and will eat meat, fish, and eggs when available. In captivity, zoos typically maintain the pandas' bamboo diet, though some will provide specially formulated biscuits or other dietary supplements. 大熊猫（Ailuropoda melanoleuca），通常称熊猫，是属于熊科的一种哺乳动物，体色为黑白两色。熊猫生长于中国中西部四川盆地周边的山区，是中国特有的野生动物，亦为国宝。全世界现存大约3100只左右，由于生育率低，加上对生活环境的要求相当高，是一种濒危动物。[1] 大熊猫古今有许多别名：貔貅、大猫熊、竹熊、白熊、花熊、貘、华熊、花头熊、银狗、大浣熊、峨曲、杜洞尕、执夷、貊、猛豹、猛氏兽及食铁兽等。 在中文里，这个动物有两种名称：熊猫和猫熊。其来历的一种说法说1869年，法国天主教传教士阿尔芒·戴维德（Armand David）认识了熊猫后，给“熊猫”定名为“黑白熊”，归属于熊科。两年后，动物学家进一步考查，研究它属於猫熊科，将它进一步定名为“猫熊”。1940年代，在重庆北碚博物馆展举办了一次动物标本展览。当时，定名为猫熊，意思是它的脸型似猫那样圆胖，但整个体型又像熊。由于中文使用者传统上通常都习惯右到左的写法，所以当时猫熊一词是以右到左的方式书写。在标准中文文法里，形容词通常都被置放在名词的前面。由於熊猫被一般人认为属於熊科，因此猫是形容词，熊是名词。故，猫熊一词在中文文法上是对的。到1940年代，很多中文使用者已经开始习惯左到右的中文读法，所以当时重庆北碚博物馆所展示的“猫熊”字样就被大家误读成熊猫。从此以后，熊猫一词便开始先在四川一带流行起来，长此以往向传讹误，一至到今天，大部分的人也就习惯了使用熊猫一词。 然而也有人认为这种说法是不对的。熊猫和猫熊两种说法从一开始就没有定论。[1] 本文来源：https://www.wddqw.com/doc/9bcc59a16629647d27284b73f242336c1eb930a2.html