PANDAS

Zoo Panda Cubs Face Tough Beginnings

Article published: September 24, 2012

URL: http://news.discovery.com/animals/giant-panda-cub-zoos-120924.html 

By: Jennifer Viegas                                   

     A panda cub died on September 23, 2012 in the zoo in Atlanta. It is said that the mother had water in her abdomen and a slightly unreal liver. This is bad because did you know that only 1,600 pandas remain in the wild? This is mainly caused by the habitat loss and fragile cubs. Even though scientists have tried placing cameras in the wild to monitor the baby cubs the way the cubs grow up in the wild are different from those who grow up at the zoo. The Atlanta zoo’s pandas have just gave birth to three cubs! They are very protective over the cubs. Just as Snyder says, "It's just that giant panda cubs are extremely vulnerable. They are the most altricial (born in an undeveloped state) of all placental mammals.

      This is related to what we are studying so far because we have been studying placental mammals and this is how panda cubs are born! We have also been studying about invertebrates and vertebrates and a panda is a vertebrate! I think that this was a very interesting article, and very sad because I never knew that there were just 1,600 more pandas in the wild. Of course it is only in the wild not counting zoos. Still if you think about it’s not that much compared to the huge world we are living in now! I really like pandas and I am hoping that their population grows!  

By: Bethany 

FIRST POST OF 7th GRADE! KANGAROOS!

KANGAROOS

          Did you know that baby kangaroos (joeys) are born when they are not fully grown? When they are first born they are about the size of a bean. They are hairless and blind! They don’t go into the mothers pouch right away. They have to slowly inch their way up the mothers belly and into the pouch. You may be asking, “How can they do this? They’re blind!” In fact they are born with a natural instinct! The baby joeys stay in the pouch for about eight months (it mostly depends on the species!) Sometimes another baby kangaroo would be in the pouch at the same time. The mother is able to produce enough milk for both of them! After all that did you know that a kangaroo can grow up to be around eight feet tall? In conclusion I think kangaroos are very fascinating animals. Who new that when they were first born they were only the size of a bean!

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