RED PANDAS
Red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) live in mountain forests in an area that extends from Nepal to northern Myanmar to central China. They live in trees, look sort of like raccoons, and have reddish fur and a long bushy tail. They are regarded as threatened not endangered species. With an estimated population of less than 10,000, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified red pandas as "vulnerable" due to the destruction of their habitat. On China’s National List for Specially Protected Wild Animals, they are listed in Appendices II as a species threatened to be extinct.
Red pandas are also known as lesser pandas. In China. they are sometimes called nine-section foxes because of the nine red and yellow rings on its tail. The French priest and naturalist Armand David, who first described giant pandas to the West in the 19th century, once said, Red pandas "are called by the Chinese 'babies in the mountain' because their sounds are similar to that of young babies." [Source: Science Museum of China kepu.net.cn]
According to Chinese scientists: Living in the broadleaf and coniferous forests, the red panda often moves around in the bamboo below the woods. In summer, it prefers to live in the shady slope of a river valley while in winter it often moves to the sunny slope or a flat-topped ridge to have a sunbathing. Although preferring warm environment, the red panda has good resistance to coldness. Red pandas almost eat only bamboo; yet, unlike giant pandas, they do not eat bamboo stalks, but only bamboo leaves or shoots according to different seasons. Besides, they also eat a variety of wild fruits such as the chokeberries, gooseberries and few other fruits. [Source: Science Museum of China kepu.net.cn]
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GIANT PANDAS: THEIR HISTORY, HABITAT AND CHARACTERISTICS factsanddetails.com ;
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RECOMMENDED BOOKS: “Red Panda: Biology and Conservation of the First Panda” by Angela R. Glatston Amazon.com; Red Pandas (Living Wild) by Melissa Gish Amazon.com; “Himalayan Wildlife: Habitat and Conservation” by S. S. Negi Amazon.com; “Wild Animals of India, Burma, Malaya and Tibet” by Richard Lydekker Amazon.com ; “Chinese Wildlife” ( Bradt Travel Wildlife Guides) by Martin Walters Amazon.com; “Guide to the Wildlife of Southwest China” by William McShea, Sheng Li, et al. Amazon.com; “Wild China: Natural Wonders of the World's Most Enigmatic Land by Phil Chapman, George Chan, et al. Amazon.com; “Wildlife of China” by China Wildlife Conservation Association Amazon.com; “Wildlife Wonders of China: A Pictorial Journey through the Lens of Conservationist Xi Zhinong” by Zhinong Xi, Rosamund Kidman Cox, et al. Amazon.com; “Mammals of China (Princeton Pocket Guides” by Andrew T. Smith and Yan Xie Amazon.com; “China Red Data Book of Endangered Animals: Mammalia” by Wang Song Amazon.com; “Rare Wild Animals” (Culture of China) by Yang Chunyan, Zhang Cizu, et al. Amazon.com
Red Panda History and Taxonomy
Red pandas live in some of the same high-altitude bamboo forests as the giant pandas but the two species are not closely related. Giant pandas are members of the bear family (Ursidae); red pandas are not. [Source: Sascha Bos, HowStuffWorks, March 29, 2024]
Red pandas are even more of a taxonomic enigma than giant pandas and its is difficult to work out their place on the evolutionary tree.. The placement of red pandas in carnivore family has been controversial. They were originally placed in the family Procyonidae (which includes raccoons and cotamundis in Latin America) because of similarities in teeth, skull, ringed tail, and other morphological characteristics. They were then placed in the family Ursidae (bears) because of similarities in DNA. However, unlike other members of these two families, Red pandas have an Asiatic origin and have never migrated to the new world. Between 20 million and 40 million years ago red pandas and raccoons split from a common ancestor that also produced bears. [Source: Terrell Heath and Josh Platnick, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Red pandas were first described in Western science in 1821, 48 years before giant pandas were discovered by Westerners. When the large black and white pandas were discovered they were named “giant” pandas while the red one became “lesser pandas” For a long time it was thought that red pandas and giant pandas belonged to the same family but recent analysis based on genetics and molecular biology techniques have determined that giant pandas are indeed a member of the bear family while red pandas are so different from bears as well as giant pandas and raccoons they should be put in their own unique group, Ailuridae, based on new molecular systematics research.
Red Panda Habitat and Where They Are Found
Red pandas are more widely distributed than giant pandas. Found in the Himalayan intersectional mountain range, they live mainly in forests and bamboo thickets of the temperate zone, from the southern edge of the Himalayas of east Nepal to the mountains of north Myanmar to the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan.
Prime habitats for red pandas are dense temperate forests at elevations between 1,800 meters and 4,000 meters (5,905 and 13,123 feet). They prefer forested southern slopes and foothills of the Himalayas. They are native to Asia. They are typically in deciduous and coniferous forests with is usually an understory of bamboo and hollow trees. The average temperature is 10 to 25 degrees Celsius, and the average annual rainfall is 350 centimeters. [Source: Terrell Heath and Josh Platnick, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Red pandas are found in northern Myanmar (Burma), Nepal and the Sikkim region of India. In China, the they are mainly distributed in the northwest edge and west edge of the Sichuan Basin and the southwest mountains of western Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and southeastern Tibet. Their geographic range is bounded in the north by the Namlung Valley in the Mugo District and the Lake Rara region of northern Nepal, in the south by the Liakiang Range of western Yunnan, and the northern and eastern boundary is the upper Min Valley of western Sichuan. /=\
Red Panda Characteristics
Red pandas range in weight from 3.7 to 6.2 kilograms (8.15 to 13.66 pounds) and have a head and body length that ranges from 56 to 62.5 centimeters (22 to 24.6 inches). They stand about 20 centimeters (8 inches) at the shoulder and a relatively long, furry tails that is 37 to 47.2 centimeters (14.5 to 18.6 inches) long. . Their average basal metabolic rate is 4.898 watts. Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is not present: Both sexes are roughly equal in size and look similar. They may live to 14 years in the wild, but the average is eight to ten. Captive ones have lived to be more than 20 years old. [Source: Terrell Heath and Josh Platnick, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Red pandas are a little bigger than a domestic cat and have a big forehead, round eyes, pointed snout, small mouth and a button nose. Their tails are marked with about 12 alternating red and buff rings, and are not prehensile (capable of grabbing). The head is round and unusually large in proportion to the rest of their body. Their rostrum (hard, beak-like structures projecting out from the head or mouth) is shortened; and the ears are large, erect, and pointed. Their mandible (low jaw) is robust but relatively short. The legs are short and bearlike and the feet have sharp and semi-retractile claws. The front legs are angled inward, leading to its waddling walk. The feet are plantigrade, meaning they walk on the soles of their feet like humans and bears.
Red pandas are thickly furred and have black hair on their stomach, chest and legs; red hair on their back and sides; a red-and-black stripped furry tail and a red racoon-like face with white patches. The red panda’s coat is long and soft and darker underneath. Its underside is black while its head is whitish, with almost white ear rims, cheeks, muzzle and spots above the eyes. Its back is rust brown or chestnut. The tail is rust brown with black and pale-colored rings. There are also brown facial “teardrop” stripes. Long, coarse guard hairs cover the body of red pandas, and the undercoat is soft, dense, and woolly. The body of individuals in the eastern part of their range are darker.
Red Panda Diet and Feeding Behavior
Red pandas live in forests in high mountains and mainly feed on bamboo leaves and leaves of trees. Technically they are omnivores (eat a variety of things, including plants and animals) but are primarily herbivores (primarily eat plants or plants parts), and are also classified as folivores (eat leaves). Occasionally they catch small animals, birds and bird eggs. with their paws and teeth and eat them
The fact that red pandas and giants pandas were first grouped into same family and given the same name is related in part to the fact that they both primarily eat bamboo and both have similar anatomical adaptions for eating bamboo. Red pandas mainly feed on bamboo shoots and leaves, but also eat berries, blossoms, the small leaves of other plants, succulent plants, grasses, roots fruits, chicks and small vertebrates like lizards and mice.
Red pandas mainly consume three species of bamboo. When they drink they may plunge a paw into the water and then lick the paw. The have developed an extra digit on the their front paws, similar to those of the giant panda, that allow them to grasp bamboo. Bamboo leaves are bent down to bring the leaves within reach of the mouth. Food is grasped in a forepaw and brought to the mouth while sitting, standing, or lying on the back. Food grasped in this manner is inserted in the side of the mouth, sheared, then chewed extensively before it is swallowed. [Source: Terrell Heath and Josh Platnick, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Red Panda Behavior
Red pandas are arboreal (live mainly in trees), nocturnal (active at night), crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary) and solitary. Their activity changes throughout the year based on the temperature, feeding regimes, and the presence of young.. Movement on the ground is done by a slow, cross-extension gait, and faster bounding or trotting. Red pandas sleep in nests in evergreen tree branches. They descend trees headfirst and display their flexibility as they move from branch to branch. The tail is used for balance when in trees, while on the ground it is carried straight and horizontally. Red pandas engage in several leisure behaviors after awakening or eating. They lick the whole body and limbs, wash their face with a paw, and stretch or rub their back and abdomen against a stationary object such as a tree or rock. /=[Source: Terrell Heath and Josh Platnick, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Red pandas can stand up for long periods of time on their hind legs. They seem to do this in the wild to get a better view and sniff the air. Its posture and strange expression on its face makes a red panda on its hind legs an inviting target for photographers and wisecracks. One red panda at a zoo in Japan assumed the upright posture once or twice a day for about 10 seconds after he ate bamboo leaves for lunch. Large crowds showed up to witness the spectacle.
According to Chinese scientists one difference between red pandas and giant pandas is that red pandas live in families while giant pandas often live alone. Red pandas sometimes live in a small group of three to five and move about in a relatively certain area in the morning and evening. Typically though red pandas live alone or in pairs.l. They form pairs in the mating season. They frequently wash themselves like a cat with their tongue, first licking the soles of the feet and then using the moistening soles to clean the fur. Red pandas mark their territories with droppings, urine and powerful musk-like secretions from the anal glands.
Red pandas spend much of their time in trees and are good climbers. Their sharp claws and small size allow it to climb rapidly through trees. When they rest they do so with their legs dangling in the air and its body lying on the branch. Red pandas use trees as food sources and to escape ground-based predators. They like to sunbathe high in the canopy during the winter. During the daytime, red pandas rest in the forks of trees and they move around most frequently at dusk and in early morning. They have the habit of defecating in fixed places. When threatened red pandas sometimes stand on their hind legs making them look bigger and giving them a bear-like appearance. Among the animals that prey on them are clouded leopards and snow leopards. When threatened by predators, red pandas climb a tree or strike out with their semi-retractile claws.
Red pandas sense and communicate with vision, touch, sound and chemicals usually detected by smelling. They also leave scent marks produced by special glands and placed so others can smell and taste them. Their vocalizations include short whistles and squeals. Among their visual displays are arching the tail and back, the slow raising and lowering of the head while emitting a low intensity puffing, turning the head while jaw-clapping, shaking the head from side to side, a bipedal posture with forelegs extended above the head, and staring. /=\
Red Panda Mating and Reproduction
Red Panda are polygynandrous (promiscuous), with both males and females having multiple partners. They engage in seasonal breeding: breeding once a year in early winter. The number of offspring ranges from one to four, with the average number of offspring being two. The average gestation period is 116 to 134 days, with independence occurring on average at 18 months. Young attain adult size at around 12 months. n average males and females reach sexual or reproductive maturity at 18 months. [Source: Terrell Heath and Josh Platnick, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Adult red pandas rarely interact with each other outside of the mating season. During the mating season, scent-markings increase, and the female invites the male to mount her on the ground. Males leave their scent by urinating or rubbing their anogenital area on trees. Both males and females may mate with more than one partner in a season. /=\
The gestation period is often made up of a 90-day true gestation plus variable time of delayed implantation. The female’ nest may be in a tree a tree hole, lined with leaves, moss, and other plant material. Other nesting sites include branch forks, tree roots and bamboo thickets. Females become noticeably heavy and lethargic around six weeks before giving birth. Several days before parturition, the female begins to carry nest materials (sticks, grass, leaves) to a suitable nest site. In captivity, a nest may be in a box, hollow log or an artificial den.
Red Panda Parenting and Offspring
Red pandas are altricial. This means that young are born relatively underdeveloped and are unable to feed or care for themselves or move independently for a period of time after birth. /=\ Males are not involved in parenting. Pre-weaning and pre-independence provisioning and protecting are done by females. [Source: Terrell Heath and Josh Platnick, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Births occur in the spring and summer, with most newborns arriving in June. All births take place between 4:00pm and 9:00am, which is the period of highest activity. According to Animal Diversity Web: After birth, females quickly clean their young and remain with them for 60 to 90 percent of the time for the first few days. Mothers recognize their young by olfactory cues established shortly after birth.
After one week, females spend more time away from the nest, returning every few hours to nurse and groom their young, and to keep the nest clean. The young remain nest-bound for around 90 days. They make their first excursion from the nest at night. The young and mother share a close relationship until the young becomes aggressive at the onset of the next breeding season. Males have a small or nonexistent role in raising and caring for the young. /=\
Young red pandas are white after their birth and they change into deep gray one week later. When young red pandas grow up, they gradually change into colors similar with their parents. Two-month-old cubs are about 35 centimeters in length and weigh 1.6 kilograms. They trot after their mother and play with each other. The young nurse for a few months and are completely self-sufficient after several months, but may remain with their mother for more than a year. They are vulnerable to attacks from large predatory birds such as hawks and vultures.
Red Pandas, Humans and Conservation
Red pandas are national animal of Sikkim and the mascot of the International Tea Festival in Darjeeling. Their skins used to be made into hats and were worn by the bridegroom in a local Chinese wedding. Their tails were used as dusters and worn as a belt ornament by Tibetans.. Red pandas are still illegally hunted and skins can be found in local markets and are still used in cultural ceremonies. [Source: Terrell Heath and Josh Platnick, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Red pandas are threatened by deforestation and other human activities. "Grazing pressure and the unsustainable harvest of forest resources have placed tremendous pressure on red pandas," Saroj Shrestha, former program coordinator for the Red Panda Network in Nepal, told HowStuffWorks. Deforestation decreases the number nesting sites and sources of food, and isolates populations into small fragments separated by unwelcoming habitats. Red pandas are occasionally targeted by hunters but more often are unintentionally caught in traps set for musk deer and other animals. Red pandas are also outcompeted by local livestock for food. Expanding human populations in Asia and the increasing need for land and lumber are significant threats to the survival of red pandas
Red pandas breed and do fairly well in captivity. About a third of the world’s captive red pandas (230 individuals) are in Japan. About half of Japan’s zoos have at least one red panda. A red panda at a zoo in Kitakyushu, Japan was still alive at 23 years and 4 months in 2014. [Source:, Yomiuri Shimbun, November 4, 2014]
Red Panda Escapees and Visitors
In 2016 Travel + Leisure reported: “Three red pandas took full advantage of a weather-induced opportunity last winter and escaped from their home in the Hangzhou Zoo. A branch in the pandas' cage broke under the weight of the snow, giving the trio a chance to experience a bit of the great outdoors. Two of the adventurous pandas were located and returned to their cage shortly after escaping. But the third managed to extend the vacation from the zoo for eight months. A whopping 242 days after making an escape, the panda was spotted in a tree near the zoo. Maybe it was missing its caged kin, maybe it was hungry. Either way, zoo employees rushed to the scene and attempted to woo the red panda down from its tree with apples. The team set up a net at the bottom of the tree and used a tranquilizer gun, and the panda was captured (unharmed).[Source: Travel + Leisure Staff, August 6, 2016]
The Telegraph reported: A rare red panda became a surprise house guest just before Christmas for one family in the Chinese city of Leshan The red panda turned up at the home of a Chinese family in the suburbs of Leshan, a city located in southwest China's Sichuan Province. "We were having a meal outside our home and saw it climbing down the slope toward us. We approached it slowly, leaving the door of our house open, and then the red panda suddenly rushed inside," said the homeowner. The creaturesoon became a draw in the local neighbourhood as food and warmth encouraged the wild animal to stay put. Neighbours arrived to have their pictures taken with the rare panda, which is classed as an endangered species. After a short stay the panda was released back into the wild by local authorities. [Source: The Telegraph website]
Image Sources: 1) Chinese Academy of Sciences; 2) Kostich; 3,5) Julie Chao ; 4) Tooter for Kids; 6, 7) WWF, Wikimedia Commons
Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, CNTO (China National Tourism Administration) David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.
Last updated March 2025