Know Before You Go
China Wildlife & History Trivia
Do you know much bamboo a giant panda eats each day? How about where the dumpling was invented? Take our quiz to put your knowledge to the test, then share it with friends to see who knows the most about China's nature reserves and ancient wonders! When you're finished, scroll down to reveal the correct answers and explanations.
Answer Explanations:
How many pounds of food do pandas typically eat each day?
Correct Answer: 33—66
Explanation: Pandas must eat a vast amount of bamboo to make up for their low-calorie diet. They feed for 10 to 16 hours per day! Header Credit & Photo Credit—Edward Mendel
How many recognized ethnic groups does China have?
Correct Answer: 56
Explanation: China has 56 ethnic groups, including the Han majority. Han Chinese, who take their name from the Han Dynasty, make up 95 percent of China’s population. Ethnic groups include Mongolians, Manchurians, Tibetans and numerous hill tribes in Southern China.
Photo Credit—Brad Josephs
Do pandas hibernate?
Correct Answer: No
Explanation: Unlike other bear species, the panda does not hibernate. Pandas’ bamboo diet is lacking in nutrients, and they do not have enough stored body fat to survive extended periods without eating. Instead, the bears migrate, moving to lower, warmer elevations in the winter. Photo Credit—Brad Josephs
Which of the following is untrue about pandas?
Correct Answer: Cubs are vulnerable to predators such as jaguars and cougars
Explanation: Cougars and jaguars are found only in the Americas. When panda bear mothers leave their den to feed, cubs are vulnerable to predators such as snow leopards, jackals and yellow-throated martens. Cubs weigh 3 to 5 ounces at birth, while female pandas typically weigh about 200 pounds. Pandas have slit-shaped pupils, like a cat, which allow them to see well at night. Photo Credit—Brad Josephs
Pandas adopted a vegetarian diet millions of years ago. What percentage of their food are pandas able to process?
Correct Answer: 20%
Explanation: While cattle can process 60 percent of what they eat, pandas can only digest 20 percent, as their digestive tract is partially adapted to process plant material. They cannot digest cellulose, and so they are unable to extract all the nutrients from bamboo. To compensate for this, pandas must ingest bamboo in large quantities to survive.
Photo Credit—Brad Josephs
Which of the following animals is not found in China?
Correct Answer: Resplendent Quetzal
Explanation: The takin, golden snub-nosed monkey and Tibetan macaque are all found in China. The resplendent quetzal lives in Central America. Photo Credits—Brad Josephs
Which animal has a V-shaped chest patch resembling the moon?
Correct Answer: Asiatic black bear
Explanation: The Asiatic black bear is also known as the “moon bear” due to its light chest marking shaped like a crescent moon. Aptly named, the golden pheasant has a crest of gold feathers, the blue sheep has a gray coat tinged with a bluish sheen, and the clouded leopard is covered with cloud-like spots.
What is the primary threat to the red panda?
Correct Answer: Deforestation
Explanation: While hunting, the illegal pet trade and natural disasters all threaten the red panda, habitat loss poses the primary problem. The red panda is losing its forest home along with its dietary staple of bamboo due to agriculture conversion, human settlement, road building, mining and logging.Photo Credit—Brad Josephs
Nat Hab travelers visit a famous archeological site in Xi’an. These famous clay statues stand in front of the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor:
Correct Answer: Army of Terracotta Warriors
Explanation: The Army of Terracotta Warriors is 2,200 years old and went undiscovered until 1974 when it was unearthed by farmers digging a well. More than 8,000 soldiers (no two of which are exactly alike!) and 600 horses, along with many chariots, musicians, concubines and even bronze waterbirds were placed before the tomb to keep Emperor Qin Shi Huang company in the afterlife. More than 700,000 workers constructed the tomb complex, which took an estimated 40 years to finish.
Nat Hab travelers also visit Bao'en Temple in the town of Pingwu. Inside the Buddhist monastery is a thousand-armed golden statue of Guanyin, goddess of mercy. The figure was carved out of a nanmu tree during the Ming Dynasty.
On the Extra Day in Chengdu extension, Nat Hab guests visit three ancient sites. The Mahao Cliff Tombs are a Han Dynasty burial site, which houses pottery figurines, stone carvings and relief paintings. The Leshan Buddha, at 233 feet tall, is the largest stone Buddha in the world, carved into the cliff face opposite the sacred Mount Emei. Wuyou Monastery and its seven Buddhist palaces are home to beautiful calligraphic paintings and terracotta monks.Photo Credit—Melissa Scott
Natural Habitat travels to this ancient imperial city, regarded as the home of the fine art of dumpling making:
Correct Answer—Xi'an
Explanation: The walled city of Xi’an, one of China’s earliest settled regions and a route along the Silk Road, is a cultural and religious epicenter. While there, Nat Hab travelers visit a local dumpling house for a traditional banquet of these steaming, pillowy delights.
What year did the giant panda become the logo of WWF?
Correct Answer: 1961
Explanation: Perhaps the most well-recognized symbol of the conservation movement, the giant panda became the icon of World Wildlife Fund in 1961. WWF has helped protect pandas in collaboration with the Chinese government and has conducted scientific research in China’s nature reserves. WWF has been integral in implementing strategies to combat poaching and preserving crucial panda habitat. By conserving bamboo forests and providing corridors for the bears to migrate safely between forests, giant pandas are able to feed and repopulate.Photo Credit—Brad Josephs