Pandas can adapt to their environment, because their fur helps keep them warm in cold conditions. Another is that they have short tails to help them balance on bamboo trees. Bamboo is pandas' favorite food, without which they could not survive. They need bamboo in their daily routine. About 99% of pandas eat bamboo as their daily diet. Pandas have even developed large jaw muscles so they can bite through bamboo. Pandas have even developed a sixth toe to help them grip bamboo better. Their stomach, which can already handle bamboo, is unsurprisingly very strong. Their stomach has a harder lining and stronger muscles, making it easier to digest large bamboo. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Bamboo's high cellulose content pushes bamboo through the giant panda's digestive system quite quickly; the shortened intestine developed by giant pandas allows for rapid passage. The colon has also changed to accommodate the giant panda's unique bamboo-based diet. Because giant pandas usually don't drink water more than once a day, they don't excrete waste as often as other creatures. The larger colon allows the giant panda to consume its massive bamboo-based diet by helping it control its waste for longer periods of time, thus limiting the number of times a giant panda has to stop to go to the bathroom. Because giant pandas spend much of their lives foraging for bamboo, their legs have strengthened over time to support the bear's weight. A giant panda can consume 20 to 40 pounds of bamboo in a single day. Giant pandas weigh on average around 250 pounds for males and up to 220 pounds for females due to all this bamboo consumption. The giant panda's legs must be able to support this weight on the buffalo grass. Buffalo grass is a very hardy grass and grows mainly in the prairies of North America. The prairies of North America are located in the center of the continent and have a dry climate during the summer and a very cold and windy climate in the winter. Buffalo grass is a native, warm-season perennial short grass. It grows between 2 and 5 inches (5-13 cm) tall and spreads between six feet and 12 feet (3-4 m). It has a round, hollow stem with curly gray and green leaves. The leaves are 1/10 inch wide and 2 inches long. In the winter it turns light brown and in the fall it turns lavender. It is very drought resistant. In dry seasons it turns brown, stops growing and becomes dormant. It is also resistant to heat and cold. Buffalo grass has both male and female plants. The flower stalks are 4 to 8 inches (10-20 cm) tall. The female heads of buffalo grass grow in clusters of three to five hairy spikelets. Buffalo grass's tiny clusters of yellow to golden male flowers grow about 2 inches (6 cm) above the blades. The roots of buffalo grass seeds do not stick to animal fur for long, and the seeds fall near the parent plant. Buffalo grass sends out many thin roots that can reach 5 feet below ground, forming a dense root ball. 70% of the roots are found in the top 15 cm of soil. Buffalo grass also reproduces through stolons. Buffalo grass is one of the most important grasses in shortgrass prairies. Both livestock and white-tailed deer, buffalo, pronghorn antelope, hares, and prairie dogs use it as forage. It was the main source of food for buffalo when huge herds roamed the prairies. Mountain plovers build their own.