There are eight species of bears on our planet: Asiatic Black Bear, Black Bear, Panda Bear, Polar Bear, Bear Sloth, Spectacled Bear, Sun Bear & the Brown Bear. We’ll check out a quick intro to all 8 this week, starting today with the Giant Panda!
ailuropoda melanoluca – “After almost a century of debate, scientists were finally able to test the genes from pandas and determine that they are actually a species of bear. Pandas are the rarest of bears. …Pandas look a lot like other bears in terms of general shape and body structure. Because they chew tough bamboo stalks for nourishment, they have highly developed muscles around their jaw and large crushing molars, giving the head a round appearance. …Panda forepaws are very flexible and have an enlarged wrist bone that acts as a unique ‘sixth digit,’ which works sort of like a human thumb, for handling bamboo. Unlike other bears, pandas do not have heel pads on their hind feet.” (You can always read more about the species from Great Bear Foundation.)
Check out the Panda Cam!
