The giant panda is a very iconic and well known symbol in many countries today. Unfortunately these unique black and white creatures are one of the most endangered species in the world. These pandas are termed to be “giant” due to the fact that they can grow to be up to 5 feet in height and 300 pounds in weight (Bradford, 2014). The majority of the giant panda population can be found in central china. Many of the pandas survive in this area due to the wet bamboo forest environment. However, the population is still very limited in size. As of 2014 the giant panda population only consisted of 1,864 pandas (World Wide Fund for Nature, 2016). In order to further the growth and survival of these organisms, many conservation efforts must be made.
One behavioral characteristic to the giant panda is their eating habits. A giant panda’s diet consist mainly of bamboo, however, bamboo stalks contain a very insignificant amount of nutrition. For this reason, pandas are required to eat an extremely large amount in order to full their nutritional needs (World Wide Fund for Nature, 2016). For the average adult giant panda, one must eat a minimum of 26 pounds of bamboo. In requirement to fulfill this need a panda must spend up to 14 hours a day eating. This behavior increases the risk of habitat loss which negatively impacts their survival. Another behavior which can aid the giant panda is their incredible climbing skills in which they obtain. This allows the panda to be able to climb great heights in avoidance of predators or environmental floods. In terms of a giant pandas behavior when interacting with other organisms, they are considered to be extremely territorial animals, especially towards other bears. In order to claim their own territory as well as avoid entering another panda’s area, these animals will use scent markers as indicators (Kelly, 2016). Outside of their own species, giant pandas form various relationships with other species. Some relationships are mutual while others are predation. Their behavior towards these animals are influenced by the type of relationship between the two
Dierenfeld, E.S., Hintz H.F., Robertson J.B., Van Soest P.J., Oftedal O.T. (1982), Utilization of bamboo by the giant panda. The Journal of Nutrition ,112(4):636-41.
The Panda’s Legs-Since pandas spend a great deal of their lives foraging for bamboo, their legs have strengthened over time to handle the bear's weight. A panda can consume anywhere from 20 to 40 pounds of bamboo in a single day. Giant pandas average at a weight of about 250 pounds for males and up to 220 pounds for females due to all of this bamboo consumption. The panda's legs must be able to carry this weight over long distances and up high trees for an average of 10 to 16 hours every day, to allow the panda bear to maintain the proper nutrition levels necessary for survival.
Deborah L. Duffy, Yuying Hsu, James A. Serpell ,Applied Animal Behavior Science - 1 December 2008 (Vol. 114, Issue 3, Pages 441-460, DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2008.04.006)
To begin with, it is an innate behavior when an animal has the instinct to know when to mate and to which species. This is known as a Courtship behavior. For example, I own a fish and a snail which live in the same tank. During the mating time, they both know not to mate with each other. They won’t mate because they aren’t the same species. When they find their correct mate, they may use dances, songs, colorful displays, or pheromones to attack their mate. Usually birds do a dance or song while peacocks show the colorful displays of their feathers. This r...
they are at the top of the food chain of the grassland plants and animals. Grizzly bears are powerful, top-of-the-food-chain predators, yet much of their diet consists of nuts, berries, fruit, leaves, and roots. Bears also
Because of the abundance in their habitat, it has been hypothesized that females could forage within eyesight of one another without the need to fight, eventually resulting in affiliative behavior, displays of reciprocal respect, and kinship. This observation can be applied to humans as well: in wealthy societies, people tend to treat one another amicably, while in harsher circumstances, we resort to a more ‘every man for himself’
All animals employ a vast array of behaviors that contribute to their ability to find resources, increase their chances of utilizing them efficiently, and therefore increase their overall fitness. One of the behaviors observed extensively throughout the animal kingdom to accomplish these tasks is aggression. Agonist conflict and aggressive behavior occurs both between species and within species. Curiously, within-species agonism is common in many animals because it can manipulate social hierarchies which can affect the distribution of resources within a population (Moore 2007 and Wofford 2013). Evaluating agonistic behavior is therefore a valuable means by which to examine expenditure of energy for resources (Moore 2007 and Wofford 2013).
Elizabeth Cashdan addresses the question of territoriality among human forager groups, specifically comparing four Bushman groups. She argues that territoriality should occur only in places where the benefits will outweigh the costs. Introducing the scientific definition of territoriality in animals, she first claims that animals tend to be the most territorial when they have adequate food and other resources. It is when there is a severe lack of or abundance of resources that animals are not territorial. With a lack of food, territoriality tends to waste too much energy. In the case of an abundance of food, it is not worth defending that which is plentiful for animals. She points out predictability as another environmental factor: if a resource is unpredictable, then it is not economical to defend it. It is only worthwhile to defend a territory if there is high probability that the resources will still be available when they are wanted. However, the costs and benefits of being territorial not only depend on the environment, but also on the species and its characteristics.
Chimpanzees (Figure 1) are the closest living relatives to us, and they share 99 percent of our DNA (1). Chimpanzees have distinct group territoriality. Male chimpanzees “patrol” near the boundary between the two ranges, at that time they move very carefully and quietly, and they can cease to listen and observe the range of their neighbors. Patrolling individuals are likely to face cruel and violent attacks, injuries, and even deaths. Intense excitement and aggressive display can occur if the two parties of two communities encounter each other. Usually, the larger group holds its ground, and interaction between different chimpanzees communities may also lead to gang attack. Expanding the community range is necessary to their social organizations, the males cooperation can defend the territory and increase the reproductive rates of the resident females by excluding female and male competitors. Body contact is common in their social life such as grooming (1). Usually, chimpanzees groom each other as a way to show harmony and solidarity in their society (Figure 2). Grooming each other demonstrates the deep bonds and close relationship between them. In addition, they can even hug, hold hands, touch, kiss each other as a way of emotional expression (2).
China the land of giant panda has also become the land of numbers and achievments. Official figures shows that China's economy is the fourth largest in the world when measured by nominal GDP and is predicted to surpass Germany to take the third place in early 2008.
For years tigers have been a symbol of grace, power, and majesty (“Tigers Threatened,” 2006), exhibiting mesmerizing beauty and limitless strength that has been recognized throughout the world. Because of this, tigers are highly valued, as their body parts are prized and worth an enormous fortune, consequently resulting in 3 of the 8 subspecies of tigers into extinction (“Tigers Threatened,” 2006). The remaining five tiger species went from hundreds of thousands, to only 3,000 – 5,000 combined, and one subspecies has been targeted tremendously for their prestigious status. In particular, Amur commonly referred to as the Siberian tiger, now face a great deal of danger, as poaching increases and destruction of their homes persist, leaving Amur on the brink of extinction as well. With approximately 500 left in the wild (Sartore, 2014, p. 1), the imperiled mammals status signifies severe endangerment, where recognition and assistance are in desperate need to put an end to prohibited hunting, and mindless deforestation. The following paper will incorporate aspects of both hunting and destruction of the ecosystem, as they are the two driving forces causing rapid tiger demise.
"Red Panda." Fact Sheet. Friends of the National Zoo and Smithsonian National Zoological Park, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
While bamboo stalks and roots make up about 95 percent of its diet, the giant panda also feeds on fish and occasionally small rodents. It must eat 20 to 40 pounds of food each day to survive, and spends 10 to 16 hours a day feeding. Until recently, Washington DC's National Zoo housed Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, perhaps the most well ...
...ing pandas pose for pictures. The pandas are starved so they will be more obedient when being photographed. Jill Robinson of Animals Asia: ''They are clearly victims of training using negative reinforcement, constant beating and lack of food until they get the trick right. '' To make sure the bears do not pose a threat to their trainers, they have their teeth and claws filed down. Animals are deprived of their basic right to live healthily.
" Society & Animals 18.2 (2010): 183-203. Academic Search Premier -. EBSCO. Web. The Web. The Web.