Yes, pandas do have belly buttons. Like all mammals, giant pandas are born with an umbilical cord that connects them to their mothers while they are developing in the womb. This cord provides the necessary nutrients and oxygen to the fetus. Once the panda cub is born, the umbilical cord is no longer needed and is cut, leaving behind a small scar—this scar is the belly button.
The Birth Process and Development of a Panda’s Belly Button
At birth, panda cubs are extremely small and fragile, weighing only about 100-200 grams (Why Are Giant Panda Cubs So Small at Birth?). They are born with their umbilical cords still attached, just like human babies. The cord connects the fetus to the mother’s placenta, allowing the cub to receive all the necessary nutrients and oxygen during gestation. Once the cub is born, the mother panda bites through the umbilical cord to sever the connection.
The stump of the umbilical cord, about 1 to 2 centimeters in length, remains attached to the cub’s abdomen for a few days. After a short time, this stump naturally falls off, leaving behind a small white mark in the area where the cord was attached. This mark is the panda’s belly button.
What Does a Panda’s Belly Button Look Like?
Unlike the visible belly buttons we see in humans, a panda’s belly button is quite small and subtle. Measuring only about 0.3 centimeters in diameter, it is not easy to spot. In fact, the belly button is often covered by fur, making it hard to detect unless you are specifically looking for it. If you observe closely, you may notice a small swirl of fur around the belly button area, with the white scar at the center of this swirl being the navel.
The fur surrounding the belly button forms a gentle spiral, a result of how the fur grows around the scar left by the umbilical cord. The belly button itself does not serve a functional purpose after birth. It’s simply a small, permanent reminder of the time when the cub was still connected to its mother in the womb.
Do Panda Cubs Use Their Belly Buttons?
The belly button itself has no specific function after birth. It is a scar left over from the umbilical cord’s connection. In humans, the belly button is often more prominent because it serves as an easily visible sign of the body’s early development, but in pandas, it is just a small and barely noticeable feature. It does not play any significant role in the panda’s survival or development after birth.