They prefer habitats with plenty of fallen logs, tree stumps, and fresh water. Red pandas live mostly in cool, temperate forests with a shrubby understory dominated by thick bamboo. To descend, red pandas climb down headfirst, gripping the trunk with the hind claws. Trees are also used as a perch for sunbathing high in the forest canopy and give red pandas an escape route from predators such as snow leopards and dholes. The legs and belly shade to black in striking contrast to the red body, and the tail is fully furred and more-or-less banded, with rings on some individuals being more pronounced than on others. Below each eye is a band of color that varies from tan to red to black. Most of their time is spent in trees, and the red panda’s cinnamon red coat, occasionally saddled with orange or yellow, and soft cream-colored face mask give great camouflage among the red moss and white lichen that cover the tree trunks of their bamboo forest homes. Living the high life: With their bushy tail for balance-which can be as long as their body-and claws for gripping, red pandas are definitely acrobatic tree dwellers. But DNA studies show that red pandas represent a unique family that diverged from the rest of the Carnivore Order, and taxonomists place them in their own unique family: Ailuridae. For many years, red pandas were classified as part of the Procyonidae family, which includes raccoons and their relatives. Yet because of the giant panda’s larger size, some biologists came to write about red pandas as “lesser” pandas. Many people believe it derives from the second part of an old Nepalese name for these animals, nigalya ponya, which may have meant something like "bamboo footed.” Another local name for the red panda is wah or chitwah.Ĭlassifying animals is not an easy task, and taxonomists argued for years over red pandas and giant pandas: are they related to each other? Red pandas and giant pandas share a common ancestor that lived millions of years ago. So how did this mammal come to be called a panda? The origin of the name “panda” is unclear. Styan discovered another form of red panda and named it Ailurus fulgens styani, now refulgens. The Styans' panda is a bit larger and more brightly colored than the western red panda. After examining a red panda, he said it was the most beautiful animal he had ever seen and named it Ailurus (from the Greek word ailouros, which means cat, and fulgens, meaning fire-colored or shining. But French zoologist Frédéric Cuvier first described the western red panda Ailurus fulgens fulgens in 1825, 48 years before the black-and-white bear was cataloged. It may seem like the roly-poly giant panda was the first true panda, and the red panda was added for fun. Today, however, red pandas are only found in small, isolated mountain territories above 4,000 feet in China, Nepal, India, Bhutan, and Burma. Surprisingly, red panda fossils have been discovered in North America that date as far back as 5 million years. The black-and-white giant panda may have worldwide popularity, but the bewitching and arboreal “other bamboo eater” has its own allure. They are classed as an endangered species and need our support to prevent their extinction.Seeing red-pandas! Many people admire the red panda for its charming, kitten-like face, cinnamon red fur, fluffy ringed tail, and astonishing agility. Sadly, red pandas are victims of illegal poaching, habitat destruction and predation from snow leopards. The male red panda has little to no involvement in raising their young. Although they are an arboreal species, meaning they spend most of their time in the trees, the mating ritual takes place on the ground. The gorgeous red panda has a specially designed wrist and paw that assists in their efficient movement through tree tops.īreeding season comes around once a year for the red panda, usually in early winter. Red pandas are often referred to as crepuscular, meaning they’re most active during early mornings and late afternoons! During this time, they will forage for bamboo, fruit, berries, blossoms, acorns and even eggs. They have a thick, insulated red coat and a bushy tail that can be used as a scarf in the chilly Himalayan climate. They are well equipped for the epic environment they live in. The red panda calls the high-altitude forests of Nepal, Burma and China home. It’s impossible to not fall in love with this cute face! Welcome to the Himalayas, right here at Australia Zoo! Our rascally red panda can be spotted moving around the treetops, curiously checking out our Zoo guests.
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