Pandas
Pandas are one of the animals in zoos that the public most like to visit. They are seen as cuddly and soft, but their colouring is very strange, compared to other animals. Over the years, there have been many ideas to explain why pandas are black and white in colour. Some experts think it was to frighten animals that would otherwise want to eat them. Other people believed that the white fur helped them hide in the snow, while the dark marks helped them to absorb the heat of the sun.
There was also the theory that the marks on the panda’s head kept it hidden from dangerous animals that wanted to attack them, while the dark circles around its eyes helped reduce the brightness of the sunlight. Now experts believe this colouring may have something to do with the food all pandas love to eat, which is mainly of bamboo, and doesn’t have many vitamins, and very few calories. Since pandas are unable to get enough fat on their bodies to allow them to sleep through the winter like other bears do, they have no choice but to wander around all year, looking for food.
The scientists also think the colouring could have something to do with developing a summer and winter coat. This is something all animals that live in cold places do, and is similar to small animals like the arctic fox, but with a difference. The panda has, over many years, developed a compromise white and black fur, rather than black, brown, or grey colours other bears usually have.
Many people think that pandas are the only animal with these black and white colourings, but that is not the case. There are other animals, such as zebras and some kinds of tigers, and some birds, which are black and white, because it helps them hide from animals that would otherwise attack them. Whatever the reasons for their colourings, the public love them and they are everybody’s favourites, especially for little children. Toy pandas are the most popular gift for kids at Christmas.
Questions
1) Some people think pandas have dark patches
