Reports of giant anacondas date back as far as the European colonization of South America
, when sightings of anacondas
upwards of 50 meters (164 feet) began to circulate amongst colonists. The size of the largest anacondas has been the subject of debate ever since among cryptozoologists
and zoologists.
Anacondas kill by constricting (squeezing) the prey until it can no longer breathe. Sometimes they drown the prey. Like all snakes, they swallow the prey whole, head first. Theanaconda's top and bottom jaws are attached to each other with stretchy ligaments, which let the snake swallow animals wider than itself.
The giant panda also known as panda bear or simplypanda, is a bear
native to south central China
. It is easily recognized by the large, distinctive black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes used to distinguish it from the unrelated red panda
. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora
, the giant panda's diet is over 99% bamboo
.Giant pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents or carrion. In captivity, they may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams,shrub leaves
, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared food.The giant panda is perhaps the most powerful symbol in the world when it comes to species conservation.
Adored around the world, the distinctive black and white animal is a national treasure in China and has been the symbol of WWF since its formation in 1961.
While its numbers are slowly increasing, the giant panda remains one of the rarest and most endangered bears in the world.
