Giant panda

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/giant-panda

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Ailuropoda melanoleuca
2. What is the lifespan?Average 20 years in the wild; up to 30+ years in captivity
3. What do giant pandas eat most of the time?They eat bamboo about 99% of the time. They need to eat 20-40 pounds of bamboo each day to get enough food.
4. How long do giant pandas spend eating bamboo each day?Adult pandas spend 10 to 16 hours a day looking for and eating bamboo.

Endemic: Native or restricted to a certain country or area, like the giant panda in China.
Altricial: Describes young animals that are born in an undeveloped state and require significant parental care.
Keystone Species: A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance.