Have you seen a newborn baby panda? You would not believe your eyes because they don’t seem to have the expected appearance that we picture in our minds. They are pink and so tiny. So why are giant pandas born so tiny?
The quick answer is, the giant pandas are born so tiny because of the lack of nutrients in the food that the mother panda eats. So, the tendency is, the growth will be stagnant. And the baby panda will not undergo further development. This is just the surface of the truth, for there is more to know about it.
Worry no more, because we have answers to the questions that you’ve been wondering about. Sounds great? Come and let’s dig deeper, as we unfold the interesting question, why are giant pandas born so tiny?
The Truth Why Are Giant Panda Babies So Small
Experts say that panda babies being born so tiny is caused by evolution that they underwent million years ago. The experts also believe that the giant pandas change themselves from the typical bears that eat meat to the bears that eat bamboo.
Furthermore, the lack of nutrients in bamboo causes a delay in the growth of the baby. The nutrients are only enough for the mother panda to keep going on a daily basis. Therefore, only a small amount of nutrients goes for the baby.
What is the size of a baby giant panda?
The newborn giant panda is so tiny. You can compare its size to the stick of butter. It is 1/900th the size of its mother. It only shows a huge differential size between the mother panda and its cub.
Moreover, it is one of the smallest baby animals relative to its mother’s size. Another characteristic of a giant panda is its pink, hairless and blind condition as it is born. Nonetheless, as time goes by, they will undergo great changes. These include the growth of their hair and the opening of their eyes.
Are baby pandas smaller than a mouse?
Yes, perhaps we can say that a newborn giant panda is smaller than a full-grown mouse. However, there is more to know about it. So, let’s have an overview of the size of these animals.
The newborn baby panda is around 15 to 17 cm, while a full-grown mouse is around 20 cm. So, if we will compare both in newborn conditions, we can say that the baby mouse is smaller than a baby panda. The same is true if we will compare both in terms of full-grown condition.
On the other hand, the result may change if we compare the two in their newborn conditions relative to their mothers’ sizes. The baby panda is way smaller than the mouse and many other animals. Just as mentioned earlier, giant panda newborn babies are among the smallest animals as compared to their mother’s size.
So, this question may be answered in different ways depending on what factors are being compared.
How much does a baby panda weigh?
A newborn baby giant panda weighs around 90-130 grams. If you will compare its weight to its mother’s, there will be an extreme difference. The weight of a full-grown female panda is around 104 kilograms, while a full-grown male weight is around 113 kilograms.
On the other hand, a newborn red panda weighs around 90-110 grams. The weight differential is not that big as compared to giant pandas. A full-grown male red panda weighs around 3.7-6.2 kilograms, while a female red panda weighs around 3-6 kilograms.
Newborn Panda Size Comparison
You can compare the size of a newborn baby panda to the stick of butter. In this comparison, you can think that a panda mother is 900 times larger than their babies. Just simply imagine how tiny they are.
Moreover, there are only a few animals that have the same size comparison conditions like newborn giant pandas. These include the kangaroos, echidna, opossums, and other few. The size difference is extremely unusual because the average mammalian ratio to their child is 1:26.
9 Panda Baby Facts
Here are the facts that you should know and remember about baby pandas.
- The newborn baby panda is pink and hairless just like baby rats and baby rabbits.
- It has a comparable size with the stick of butter.
- The length is around 15-17 cm while the weight is around 90-130 grams.
- It is blind and completely dependent on its mother; it cannot eat nor poop by itself.
- They are very fragile that they cannot stand on their own feet.
- If they are born as twins the mother will choose the stronger one to raise.
- The unchosen baby panda will be abandoned and will wait for its death.
- They are born from July to September.
- They are often crushed by their mothers due to their extreme size difference.
Conclusion:
In this article, you learned that the size of a newborn giant panda is 1/900th the size of its mother. You also learned that the lack of nutrients in bamboo affects the size of a newborn panda. The same goes for the facts you should know about baby giant pandas.
All the animals including pandas and humans undergo different cycles of growth. This starts from the moment of conception up to the moment of giving birth. Then another level of growth will happen in the real outside world after birth.
Is this article informative to you? Did you get the answers to the questions you’ve been wondering about? You can share it with your friends to spread awareness about the giant pandas.
