When newly born, the giant panda has a pink tail. You can easily see the tail behind a tiny pink eye-closed cub. As time goes by, the panda grows bigger, its pink fur turns white, its tail is shorter and shorter, and eventually becomes a little ball of white fur on the butt, only 10 to 15cm long. The short tail is so closely attached to the butt that it can be easily neglected.
However short it is, the tail plays an important role in pandas’ live. At the base of the panda’s tail, there’s a hairless zone with many glands called circumanal glands. These glands give the secreta of a special smell, as a way to communicate with their mates or companions. Their short tail with a lot of fur can function as a brush to spread the secreta and smell to wider areas.