For other foods, bamboo is widely distributed and easily available, and few competitors compete with giant pandas for food. Compared with other woody plants, bamboo contains a relatively high concentration of starch; The starch content of different parts of bamboo changes with the seasons, and giant pandas always choose the parts with high starch content in bamboo.

"The highest content of starch and hemicellulose in bamboo is bamboo shoots, which grow rapidly, twice a year. Whenever bamboo shoots appear, it is also the season when giant pandas are in estrus and have children. In this season, giant pandas give priority to eating bamboo shoots. "

Extended data:

Giant panda information-life habits;

1. Environment: The giant panda lives in the high mountains and deep valleys in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in China, and is the windward side of the southeast monsoon. The climate is cool and humid, and its humidity is often above 80%. It is a wet animal with a habitat area of more than 20,000 square kilometers and a population of about 1.600, of which more than 80% are distributed in Sichuan.

2. Behavior: Giant pandas spend half of their eating time every day, and most of the rest are spent in sleep. In the wild, giant pandas sleep for 2-4 hours between meals. Lying flat, lying on the side, prone, stretching or curling are their favorite sleep styles.

3. Breeding: Giant pandas live in dense forests. When they grow to a certain stage, they need to mate and have children, that is, estrus, courtship, mating, pregnancy and childbirth. Female giant pandas are in estrus once a year, each time lasting only 2-3 days, and the estrus period is usually from March to May every year. The gestation period is 83 ~ 200 days, and the youngest son is usually born around August.

Popular Science China Network-Why do giant pandas still like to eat bamboo?

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