17 Cute Facts about Pandas

How have giant pandas adapted to eating bamboo?

Giant pandas have an extra digit on their paws that functions like a thumb and helps them to tear bamboo. Strong jaws enable them to crush bamboo up to 1.6 in (4 cm) in diameter, and their molar and pre-molar teeth are adapted to slice and crush tough plant stems. Adaptation doesn’t stop there though, as giant pandas throats have a special lining to protect it from splinters once the bamboo is swallowed.