Red Panda
\nThe
Red Panda (
Ailurus fulgens - 小熊貓), is a mostly vegetarian
cat-size (60-
cm long)
mammal, formerly classified in the
raccoon family (
Procyonidae), but now classified as a member of the bear family (
Ursidae). It is native to the
Himalayas and southern
China. Fossil evidence suggests that it once also existed in North America.
Its
Western name is taken from a
Himalayan language, maybe
Nepalese but its meaning is uncertain. One theory is that "panda" is an anglicization of "poonya," which means "eater of bamboo." Its
Chinese name means "little
panda," so called, not to distinguish it from the
Giant Panda, but named after it. It is also commonly known as the
Firefox and, because of its distinctive cry, the "
Wah".
Like the Giant Panda, it eats large amounts of
bamboo, but its diet also includes
fruit,
roots,
acorns, and
lichen, and captive Red Pandas readily eat meat. Red Pandas are excellent climbers, and forage largely in trees. Since the Red Panda mainly eats
bamboo, it has a low-calorie diet which causes it to not do much more than eat and sleep.
The red panda has a digestive system more suited to a
carnivorous diet, and cannot digest
cellulose, meaning that it must eat a great deal of bamboo to survive. Red pandas are known to supplement their diet with young birds, eggs, small rodents and insects on occasion.
The Red panda has semi-retractile claws and a "false thumb", really an extension of the wrist bone. Thick fur on the soles of the feet offers protection from cold, and also hides scent glands.
Adults are largely solitary and mainly
nocturnal. Females give birth to litters of one to four young (most often two) between mid-May and mid-July. The young are born fully-furred, but blind and helpless, and are weaned at five months of age. Sexual maturity occurs at age 18-20 months.
The
species is
endangered, largely because of
habitat loss, though there is also some illegal
hunting.
There are two subspecies of red panda:
Ailurus fulgens fulgens and
Ailurus fulgens styani.
A.f. fulgens is a little smaller and its facial fur is much lighter; its range covers
Nepal,
Tibet, the
Indian states of Assam and Sikkim,
Bhutan and
China.
A.f. styani has more pronounced facial markings; it is restricted to northern
Myanmar and some areas of
China. The red panda depicted in the photo seems to be
A.f. fulgens.
Photo © 2000 by John White
External links
\n* Zoo.org factsheet\n*
Lesser Panda (Red Panda)\n*
BBC - Wildfacts
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