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Panda In Life Cycle

Panda In Life Cycle

andas are mistakenly believed to be poor breeders due to the disappointing reproductive performance of captive animals.

But long-term studies have shown that wild panda populations can have reproductive rates comparable to some American black bear populations, which are thriving.

1/Breeding facts:
  1. Giant pandas reach sexual maturity at 5.5 to 6.5 years.
  2. A female can mate with several males, who compete over her.
  3. A male will seek out different females who are on heat.
  4. The mating season is in spring between March and May.
  5. Males and females usually associate for no more than 2-4 days.
  6. Gestation takes from 95-160 days.
  7. Pandas normally give birth to single young
  8. Twins seem to be born more frequently in captivity, when artificial insemination is used.
  9. The reproductive rate is about 1 cub every 2 years.

2/Birth facts:

  1. A newborn panda cub weighs just 90-130 g.
  2. A cub is just 1/900th the size of its mother - one of the smallest newborn mammals relative to its mother's size.
  3. Pandas are dependent on their mothers for the first few months of their lives and are fully weaned at 8 to 9 months.
  4. Most pandas leave their mothers when she becomes pregnant again, usually at about 18 months.
  5. A panda's average life span in the wild is 14-20 years.
  6. But they can live up to 30 years in captivity.

3/Adult facts:

  1. Giant pandas are generally solitary.
  2. Each adult has a well-defined home range.
  3. Although they are not territorial, females do not tolerate other females and sub-adults within the core areas of their range.
  4. Encounters are rare outside the brief mating season, but pandas communicate with each other fairly often, mostly through vocalization and scent marking.
  5. While roaming their territories, they mark their routes by spraying urine, clawing tree trunks, and rubbing against objects.

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