During their long evolution, giant pandas have gradually transitioned from being carnivores to primarily bamboo eaters due to the scarcity of meat. Scientists have meticulously studied various aspects of giant panda feeding behavior, such as their preferences, quantities consumed, eating speeds, the number of bites per bamboo segment, and how many times they chew different parts of the bamboo.
Before eating, giant pandas carefully select bamboo, similar to how humans choose fresh vegetables. They prefer the tender shoots. Once a suitable bamboo stalk is chosen, the panda sits down and grasps it with one or both front paws, depending on its length. Like humans eating kebabs or ribs, the panda first eats the leaves. Then, it tackles the tougher part of the bamboo – the stem near the nodes, which is the hardest to chew. Just as humans remove large bones when eating fish, pandas use their powerful molars to break open the toughest parts of the bamboo and then peel off the outer skin from the broken ends. This step is crucial because no one eats sugarcane with the skin on, and similarly, pandas avoid eating the bamboo skin. Even after preparing the bamboo, they chew it into smaller pieces before swallowing. Although this method doesn’t entirely prevent their mouths from getting pricked, it significantly protects their oral cavity. This precise way of eating bamboo, which resembles cutting it into sections with a knife, is known as the “bite-shear method.”
In addition to the bite-shear method, pandas have three other feeding techniques for different types of food:
- Sucking: For liquids like water and beverages, pandas suck like a baby drinking milk.
- Licking: For semi-liquids like porridge, they use their tongues like spoons to lap up the food.
- Gnawing: For solid foods such as meat, fruits, and steamed corn bread, they use their front teeth to bite off pieces and then chew with their molars.
These various methods allow giant pandas to consume different types of food effectively and safely.
Related Knowledge
Besides Giant Pandas, Which Animals Have Diverse Feeding Methods?
Insects are the most diverse group of animals on Earth, with each type having different dietary preferences. The mouthparts of insects, known as “mouthparts,” are categorized by biologists into six types based on their feeding methods: chewing, chewing-lapping, siphoning, piercing-sucking, rasping-lapping, and sponging.
Chewing Mouthparts: Insects with chewing mouthparts primarily consume solid food. Examples include mantises and grasshoppers. Their mouthparts are somewhat similar to human mouths, adapted for biting and grinding food.
Chewing-Lapping Mouthparts: Insects like bees have chewing-lapping mouthparts. They use their mandibles (upper jaws) to eat pollen and their proboscis (lower jaws) to suck nectar. This combination allows them to handle both solid and liquid food effectively.
Siphoning Mouthparts: Butterflies and moths are representative insects with siphoning mouthparts. Their mouthparts resemble a coiled tube, like a watch spring, which they use to sip liquids and consume soft fruit flesh. This adaptation allows them to access nectar deep within flowers.
Piercing-Sucking Mouthparts: Insects with piercing-sucking mouthparts can only consume liquids. Mosquitoes are a common example. Their mouthparts function like a syringe, piercing the skin of their host to draw blood. This efficient method enables them to feed on the blood of animals and humans.
Rasping-Lapping Mouthparts: In contrast to mosquitoes, horseflies, which also feed on blood, have more aggressive feeding habits. They use their scissor-like mandibles to cut open the skin of their prey and then insert their needle-like proboscis into the wound. By continuously moving their mouthparts, they keep the wound open, allowing them to lap up the blood. This feeding method, combining cutting and lapping, is characteristic of insects with rasping-lapping mouthparts.
Sponging Mouthparts: Insects with sponging mouthparts, like houseflies, have mouthparts that resemble a mushroom cap. When feeding, they cover the food with their “lips,” absorbing liquids and semi-liquids. This method allows them to consume a variety of foods by dissolving them with saliva and then absorbing the nutrients.