Lazy lifestyle key to pandas' bamboo-only diet

Scientists have uncovered the key reason why giant pandas are able to survive solely on a diet of bamboo. The researchers found that pandas get by on shoots and leaves because they expend extremely small amounts of energy. A typical adult panda burns up about 38% of the calories used by other, similarly sized animals. The scientists found the bears' slow-moving ways were linked to low levels of thyroid hormones. Scientists have long been intrigued as to how the black and white mammals are able to live exclusively on hard-to-digest bamboo, since their stomachs still retain the gut bacteria of the omnivorous creatures they evolved from. The metabolic rate of an active panda is lower than a completely stationary human Prof John Speakman, University of Aberdeen & Chinese Academy of Sciences This new analysis sheds light on the mystery. 'Frugal with energy' The researchers looked at the daily energy expenditure of five captive pandas and three living in the wild. They found that the creatures used around 38% of the predicted value for mammals of their size. This compares to slow-moving koalas, which use around 69% of the energy normal for similarly sized animals. The most direct comparison with the pandas' laid-back ways were three-toed -READ MORE -http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33476974