Have you ever thought about what Pandas really eat? These beautiful creatures rely on bamboo. Yes, you heard it right. Although they are carnivores, they mostly prefer bamboo (99%) in their menu.
However, there’s a difference between giant and red pandas’ dietary preferences. Despite depending on bamboo, Giant and red pandas have other foods to be healthy.
In this article, I will discuss Pandas’ daily delight, their nutrition intakes, unique digestion system, and factors that influence their eating habits. Let’s explore more about the food of pandas.
What Is the Food of Pandas?
Basically, Pandas like to eat bamboo only. It covers most of their menu. However, there is some variation between the eating habits of Giant panda and Red panda.
Let’s learn about their eating habits –
| Giant pandas | Red Pandas |
|---|---|
| 99% of their diet consists of bamboo, with bamboo shoots and leaves | 85%-95% of their overall diet is covered by Bamboo, with bamboo shoots and leaves |
| They eat 26-84 pounds of bamboo a day | They consume 2-4 pounds of bamboo a day |
| They have 6-10 varieties of bamboo | They eat 20 different types of bamboo |
| Spends 10-16 hours on eating | Spends 10-12 hours on eating |
| Other than bamboo, they eat pikas, plants, insects, fruits, etc. | In addition to bamboo, they take fruits, insects, mice, eggs, etc. |
What do Giant Pandas eat?
Bamboo is the major type of food consumed by giant pandas and they feed mostly on shoots, leaves and culms which account for almost 99% of their diet. Other than bamboo, giant pandas eat meat coming from pikas, rodents, and insects.
Additionally, they consume carrion and food plants, such as wheat, pumpkins, kidney beans, and livestock fodder. Apart from these, the giant pandas have fruit, especially apples.
In the summer season, giant pandas eat frozen ice incorporating apple pieces to remain relatively cool. Their favorite vegetables are carrots, ginseng and some mushrooms. This combination delivers tailored nutrition to giant pandas.
What do Red Pandas eat?
Red pandas have a unique diet that basically depends on bamboo; in particular, the bamboo shoots and leaves that constitute the diet are 85%-95%. Among giant pandas, the selected food includes more than 20 varieties of bamboo species.
Other than bamboo, they eat insects, mice, rats, eggs, or small lizards or birds, especially during the pregnancy season. They feed on plants which include feeding on bark, lichen, roots, grass and flowers.
On top of that, the red pandas utilize other vegetation like berries, fruits, mushrooms and acorns thus further leaning towards other uses of nutrition.
They also enjoy frozen ice during summer which is garnished with apples. The diet of red pandas is wider than that of their giant pandas.
What do baby pandas eat?
When you ask what baby pandas eat, the answer is simple: Bamboo. Even though bamboo is their main food, mother pandas provide necessary nutrients via milk to nourish their baby panda for its development.
Mother’s milk is an additional element, that largely determines conditions in which baby pandas maintain health and welfare.
Learn more about panda overview from this article
What Necessary Nutrition Panda Gets While Consuming Food?
From their varied diet, pandas get essential nutrients. As a staple, bamboo provides fiber, essential for digestion. This is rich in vitamins and minerals including calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron. The favored bamboo shoots provide a higher protein content.
Apart from using bamboo, fruits are added for vitamin C, and vegetables further supply minerals. In captivity, humans make sure to provide a balanced diet. That includes protein sources such as soy and eggs that will take care of the panda’s nutritional needs.
How Do Pandas Digest Food?
Intake of bamboo by pandas on their trip to nutrition is a simple process. They begin with the bite and chewing with their specific teeth and powerful jaws. Then, Saliva in their mouth initiates the breakdown.
After that, Bamboo continues to the stomach where acids act on fiber breaking the harder fibers. From here, it goes to the small intestine. The carnivorous panda makes the best of this phase to turn plants into nutrients.
Now comes the cecum. It is one segment of their digestive tract that ferments cellulose and gets more nutrients out of bamboo. Where the bamboo has a very low nutritional value, this adaptation provides the required compensation.
Fulfilling its duty of absorption, the small intestine absorbs whatever it can. Then the cecum helps the panda to get the most out of the bamboo diet. Lastly, the residue left- the non-digestible particles is eliminated.
What Factors Influence Pandas’ Eating Habits?
Although Pandas only depend on Bamboo, there is more to Panda’s diet than it may seem. Some factors shape their eating habits and I’m going to briefly explain those influencing factors.
Unavailability of bamboo
In the absence of bamboo, the diet of the pandas becomes problematic, which mostly happens in winter. This affects them nutritionally and even causes nutritional deficiencies.
During these periods, they might require some other sources of food to substitute. For example, fruits, meats, etc.
Seasonal variance
Seasonal changes have a significant impact on panda diets. During spring, as mating season, pandas prefer young wood bamboo shoots enriched in nitrogen and phosphorus.
In June, when the wood bamboo is ripe and the nutrient level drops, pandas migrate to high hills for young arrow bamboo shoots. From mid-July on, they turn to the young arrow bamboo leaves, which are rich in calcium, an essential component of their diet.
The seasonal variations show how the availability and maturity of bamboo define the choice of panda’s diet.
Dietary in captivity state
Pandas in captivity have a more restricted diet which could affect their nutritional intake. While they feed on bamboo fruits and vegetables, the diversity could be diminished as compared to what they get in the wild.
As caretakers, ensure a highly regulated dietary content. Due to the controlled setting, such as the ones that pandas live in, their natural foraging behavior is altered. So does the intake of nutrients.
This causes the necessity of planning a panda’s diet under captivity in detail to ensure its health and well-being.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some commonly asked questions that people ask related to Pandas’ food-
01. Do Pandas eat meat?
Yes. Though bamboo covers 99% of their meals, they may eat meals sometimes. Especially in captivity.
02. How often do Pandas drink water?
Pandas drink fresh water once or twice a day.
Conclusion
Whether giant or red, all pandas love bamboo. Bamboo is the most common food for giant pandas. Some additions like meat, carrion, and crops also reflect on this diet. In the summer, they like fruit, mostly apples.
Red pandas also love bamboo but consume it in combination with meat, plants and other vegetation. Baby Pandas have their mother’s milk as additional nutrients.
Bamboo contains necessary vitamins and fiber. In captivity, pandas are treated to a balanced and nutritious diet consisting of protein sources like soy and eggs.