Giant Pandas’ Behavior 大熊貓的生活習性

坎迪絲·宋文 閆清波譯

Giant pandas spend their lives eating bamboo and walking around the forest floor. They are good climbers and can also swim. They dont build dens （except to put cubs in） or hibernate. They prefer shallow slopes and solitary living. If it is too cold up in the mountains they head down to the valleys where it is warmer.

Low-stress lifestyle

Because of their low-energy diet they avoid stressful situations and exertion， preferring shallow slopes and solitary living. They use scent markers to avoid one another. Giant pandas dont roar like other bears， but bleat like goats， or honk， growl， and bark to communicate1. Cubs whine and croak for attention.

Eating habits—14 hours a day

The giant pandas spend as long as 14 hours eating per day. A giant panda needs about 12 to 38 kilograms of food per day， approximately 40% of its own weight. The giant pandas prefer eating tender stems， shoots and leaves of bamboo， all of which are richer in nutrition and lower in fibrins.

Pandas eat golden bamboo. Each season they eat the best bits2. In April the best bit is the woody part3. At other times they eat the tips and discard the wood.

Wild giant pandas eat grasses， wild fruits， insects， mice， even lambs in the surrounding villages and leftovers in rubbish dumps as well.

Sleeping habits—2–4 hours sleep between meals

In addition to eating for about half a day， the giant pandas spend the rest of their time in sleeping.

In the wild， the giant pandas sleep for 2 to 4 hours between its two meals， whose favorite sleeping poses include lying flat on their backs， lying on their sides， lying on their stomachs， stretching their paws and rolling themselves up into balls.

The keepers feed giant pandas twice a day at regular times in the zoo， therefore， the giant pandas spend most of their spare time in rest， and they seem very lovely even during their sleeping time.

How they sleep

Pandas get into positions of various kinds with their seemingly clumsy bodies. Their favorite sleeping position is putting their hind paws on the trees with their front paws shading their eyes.

Fond of climbing trees—to protect themselves

The pandas are very nimble in climbing trees and run rapidly in danger. They propose to their partners， run away from danger and evade stronger competitors by climbing trees.

The giant pandas also walk into the valley， sneak into mountain villages or residences， which play with round-shaped utensils as toys and later abandon them in the wild.

Once in a while， the giant pandas also show their kindness to sheep and pigs by sharing food and rooms with them.

Solitariness—they like being alone

Panda families dont live together. They are solitary， each female having a well-defined range. Males generally live apart， except for in the short breeding season （March to May）， when they compete for female attention. Females raise the cubs alone.

With an uncommunicative and eccentric temperament， the giant pandas prefer freedom of being alone， and sleep in the daytime and look for food in the night. In addition to one month spent with their partners during mating season， most of their time is spent alone.

Docile temperament—seldom attacking men or other animals

The giant pandas have a very docile temperament in most cases， and they often lower their heads or shade their faces with front paws to conceal their true appearances when they come across a man for the first time. Seldom actively attacking men or other animals， the giant pandas always evade them when coming across them.

However， the giant pandas consider their cubs holy and untouchable once they give birth， and they will burst into rage at such small things as their cubs being watched by visitors. The giant pandas can stretch their paws and open their mouths wide like cats to make themselves more comfortable. They can also shake water off themselves like dogs after a heavy rain.

Communication—scent markings and sounds

Most communication among giant pandas is reached by scent markings left on the habitat， by which they can find their previous partners during mating season.

After finding their partners， they will communicate with sound， which is barely understood by humans， and they will remain silent when simply but playing. Therefore， we could predicate their behaviors simply by their sounds.

Scent markings for dividing territory

The secret to keeping peace in the habitat is dividing territory by scent markings. The giant pandas leave their glandular secretions4 on tree stumps， walls and ground in their habitats， by which they gather together or evade stronger competitors.

In the non-mating season， the giant pandas would walk away as soon as they smell scents of newcomers. In the mating season， the scent of a female giant panda means that she is ready for male pandas to mate.

In addition to glandular secretions， urine is also employed by pandas for scent markings. While making markings， the giant pandas usually shake their heads with mouths half open， and then strip the barks from trees where they urinate to attract attention of other pandas.

Mating from March to May

The female giant pandas are monestrous5， which usually falls in March to May and only lasts 2 to 3 days each time. The female giant pandas will leave their partners after mating and rear their cubs alone.

Giving birth from July to September

Giant panda gestation6 is about 83 to 200 days， and usually give birth from July to September. Cubs usually were born in hidden hollow trees or natural dens， where the branches and dry hays well-prepared by mother pandas are available. Normally， the giant pandas are monotocous and rarely multiparous. Even the female giant pandas have two cubs at one birth in the wild， they would choose to take care of one and abandon the other.

Owing to feeding on bamboos， the giant pandas need to spend long time in eating to get enough energy each day， and they will leave their cubs to hunt for food for 2 to 4 hours each day even in their child-care periods.

大熊貓終生以竹子為食，在林地四處走動。它們善于攀爬，也會游泳。它們不建窩（除了哺育幼崽），也不冬眠。大熊貓多在緩坡活動，喜歡獨居。如果山上太冷，它們就會轉移到更暖和的山谷。

輕松的生活方式

由于日常飲食能量低，所以大熊貓會避免緊張和勞累，喜歡在緩坡活動和獨居。它們利用氣味做標記，以免互相干擾。大熊貓不像其他熊類一樣大聲吼叫，而是像山羊一樣咩咩叫，或者通過鳴叫、咆哮和吠叫進行交流。熊貓幼崽會發出嗚嗚聲和呱呱聲，以引起母親注意。

飲食習慣：每天進食14小時

大熊貓每天進食時間長達14小時。一只大熊貓每天需要12到38公斤左右的食物，約為其體重的40%。大熊貓喜食嫩竹莖、竹筍和竹葉，這些食物營養更豐富，纖維蛋白含量更低。

大熊貓吃最好的竹子。它們會隨季節變化，采食竹子的精華部分。4月份，竹莖是最佳選擇;而其他時間，它們食用竹筍和竹葉，不再吃竹莖。

野生大熊貓以草、野果、昆蟲、老鼠為食，甚至也會吃附近村莊的羊羔和垃圾堆里的剩菜。

睡眠習慣：兩餐之間睡2至4小時

大熊貓每天約一半時間都在進食，其余時間用來睡覺。

在野外，大熊貓在兩次進食間隙睡2至4小時。平躺、側躺、俯臥、伸展四肢或縮成一團都是它們喜好的睡覺姿勢。

在動物園里，飼養員每天兩次定時給大熊貓喂食，所以它們大部分時間都在休息，大熊貓即使睡覺時看起來也很可愛。

睡眠姿勢

大熊貓的身體看似笨重，卻能擺出各種各樣的姿勢。后掌撐在樹上，前掌遮住眼睛是它們最喜歡的睡眠姿勢。

喜歡爬樹：一種自我保護方式

熊貓爬樹非常靈活，遇到危險能快速逃跑。它們通過爬樹來求偶、避險、回避強者。

大熊貓還會步入山谷，潛入山村或民宅，把圓形的器皿當成玩具，玩耍后棄置山野。

有時大熊貓也會對羊和豬表示友好，分享食物和領地。

喜歡獨居

熊貓家族不在一起生活。它們是獨居動物，每只雌性大熊貓都有明確劃分的活動區域。雄性大熊貓除了在短暫的繁殖季節（3月至5月）競相吸引雌性的注意之外，通常也是單獨生活。幼崽由雌性大熊貓獨自撫養。

大熊貓不善交流，性情古怪，偏愛獨居的自由。它們白天睡覺，晚上覓食。除了在交配季節和伴侶待一個月，它們大部分時間都是獨自生活。

性情溫順：很少攻擊人類或其他動物

通常情況下，大熊貓性情十分溫順，初次見人，常把頭低下，或用前掌蒙面，不露真容。它們很少主動攻擊人類或其他動物，與其偶遇時，也總是回避。

但一旦當上了媽媽，幼崽在它們眼中就變得神圣不可侵犯，即便是游客觀望這種小事，也會惹怒它們。大熊貓可以像貓一樣伸開爪子張大嘴，讓自己更舒適。如果被大雨淋濕，它們也可以像狗一樣抖掉雨水。

交流方式：氣味標記和聲音交流

大熊貓的交流大多通過在棲息地標記氣味來進行。在交配季節，它們會通過氣味標記找到之前的伴侶。

找到伴侶后，它們會用人類幾乎聽不懂的聲音交流，如果只是在玩耍，它們就會保持安靜。因此，我們只根據聲音就可以判斷大熊貓的行為。

用氣味標記劃分領地

大熊貓在棲息地能夠和平相處的秘訣就是用氣味標記來劃分領地。它們將其腺體分泌物留在棲息地的樹樁、墻壁和地面上，這些氣味標記能讓它們聚到一起或回避強者。

在非交配季節，一聞到陌生熊貓的氣味，它們就會走開。而在交配季節，一只雌性大熊貓留下氣味就表示它準備好與雄性交配。

除了腺體分泌物，大熊貓還用尿液做氣味標記。做標記的時候，它們通常會半張嘴巴，晃動頭部，然后剝掉排尿處樹木的樹皮，以引起其他熊貓的注意。

交配期：3月到5月

雌性大熊貓每年有一段發情期，通常出現在每年3月至5月，每次只持續2至3天。交配后它們會離開伴侶，獨自撫養幼崽。

生產期：7月到9月

大熊貓妊娠期大約持續83至200天，一般在7月至9月生產。幼崽通常出生在隱蔽的樹洞，或天然的洞穴，里面有大熊貓媽媽精心準備的樹枝和干草。通常情況下，大熊貓一胎產一仔，很少產多仔。在野外，雌性大熊貓即使一胎產下兩只幼崽，也會選擇照顧其中一只而遺棄另一只。

由于以竹子為食，因此，大熊貓每天需要長時間進食來獲得足夠的能量，即便在育幼期，每天也要離開幼崽2至4小時外出覓食。

[譯者單位：中國石油大學（北京）]

1熊貓在交配等愉悅的狀態下，就會發出類似山羊咩咩聲的顫抖音;而發怒時，就會發出類似犬吠的聲音。

2 bit（事物的）一部分，一段。 ?3竹莖多為木質，此處the woody part譯為竹莖。

4 glandular secretion腺體分泌物。 ?5 monestrous（每年）一次發情期的。

6 gestation妊娠期。