The giant panda has an insatiable appetite for bamboo. A typical animal eats half the day—a full 12 out of every 24 hours—and relieves itself dozens of times a day. It takes 28 pounds (12.5 kilograms) of bamboo to satisfy a giant panda’s daily dietary needs, and it hungrily plucks the stalks with elongated wrist bones that function rather like thumbs. Pandas will sometimes eat birds or rodents as well.

Pandas are often seen eating in a relaxed sitting posture, with their hind legs stretched out before them. They may appear sedentary, but they are skilled tree-climbers and efficient swimmers.

The male ruby-throated hummingbird does indeed have a striking red throat, though the female of the species does not. You would have to look quickly to see either, however, as these speedy little birds can beat their wings 53 times a second and fly in an acrobatic style matched by few other birds. They hover often, and also fly upside down and backwards. These hummingbirds have extremely short legs, so they cannot walk or even hop with any efficiency.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds live in woodland areas, but also frequent gardens where flowering plants are plentiful. They hover to feed on flowers, nectar, and sap. During this floral feeding process, the birds pollinate many plants.

These tiny birds are omnivores, sometimes feeding on insects and spiders. An adult ruby-throated hummingbird may eat twice its body weight in food each day, which it burns up with the high metabolism necessary to sustain its rapid wing beat and energetic movements.

This hummingbird breeds in eastern North America and is the only hummingbird species to do so. Males establish a territory and court females who enter it with flying and diving behaviors, and by showing off their red throat plumage. Females provide all care for young hummingbirds. They lay one to three eggs, incubate them for about two weeks, and, after hatching, feed their young for about three weeks. A female may have several broods in a year. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are largely solitary outside of the breeding season.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds winter in Mexico and Central America. To get there from their North American breeding grounds some birds embark on a marathon, nonstop flight across the Gulf of Mexico. They may double their weight in preparation for this grueling journey.

Find more great animal wallpapers at the National Geographic website.

A baby harp seal rests on the Arctic ice. Its mother can distinguish it from hundreds of others by scent alone.

While most seals make their homes in colder climate, the Hawaiian monk seals prefer the warm, sandy beaches of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

A fur seal cow gives birth to one pup per year, shortly after which she mates again. During mating season, dominant males gather harems of some 40 females.

Weddell seals are known for their docile nature and are easily approached by humans.

For more great animal wallpapers visit National Geographic’s official website.

Find more great animal wallpaper at NationalGeographic.com

 

There were eight tiger subspecies at one time, but three became extinct during the 20th century. Over the last 100 years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced tiger populations from hundreds of thousands of animals to perhaps fewer than 2,500. Tigers are hunted as trophies, and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. All five remaining tiger subspecies are endangered, and many protection programs are in place.

Find more Tiger Wallpaper at NationalGeographic.com’s Tiger page.

This beautiful wallpaper shows three horses running wild. The black stallion, his mare, and their foal.

There is only one species of domestic horse, but around 400 different breeds that specialize in everything from pulling wagons to racing. All horses are grazers.

This horse wallpaper shows a baby foal. This wild horse is a member of the Pryor Mountain herd. Unique to the Montana landscape, this group of wild horses has been determined to have directly descended from horses brought to the United States by Spanish explorers in the 1600s.

Find more great horse pictures and wallpaper at NationalGeographic.com

Fiercely protective of his pride, or family unit, male lions patrols a vast territory normally covering about 100 square miles (259 square kilometers).

A female African lion, rousted from a nap, snarls from a tree near the Zambezi River in this Lion Wallpaper.

Find more great Lion Wallpaper at National Geographic’s official website

Find more great wallpaper at National Geographic’s official website.

Find more great Wolf Wallpaper from National Geographic’s official website.

Find more great Shark Wallpaper from National Geographic’s official website.