Hunters also kill red pandas for their fur or inadvertently when the creatures stumble into traps meant for other animals. These animals are threatened by people clearing their forest habitat for logging and agriculture, as well as by diseases that can spread from domesticated animals.
While no one knows the exact number of animals in the wild, a 2015 estimate put the population at 10,000, a 50 percent drop since 1997. Red pandas are considered endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the organization that determines the conservation status of plant and animal species. Males take little or no interest in the cubs, leaving the cub-rearing to the mothers. They typically give birth to one to four cubs that remain with them for about 90 days. They don’t have a big window: females are only fertile for a couple of days a year. This smelly liquid also serves another purpose: Males release it to mark their territory when searching for a mate in winter and early spring. Red pandas even have two layers of fur-a soft undercoat covered with coarse hairs-to insulate them from the mountain chill, and they use their long tail as a wraparound blanket. This helps them quickly escape predators like snow leopards and jackals, which may have difficulty seeing the animals to begin with: Their coats match the moss clumps that grow on their tree homes, and their black bellies make it difficult for predators to spot them from the ground. These animals have adapted incredibly well to their environment: They have sharp, semi-retractable claws that help them grip slippery branches, and their flexible ankles give them the unique ability to climb down trees headfirst.
They spend the vast majority of their lives in trees, where they sleep and sunbathe. Red pandas live in the rainy mountain forests of Nepal, India, Bhutan, northern Myanmar (Burma), and central China. The Chinese red panda is a bit larger and has more distinct rings on its fluffy tail. While originally thought to be two subspecies-the Himalayan red panda and the Chinese red panda-growing evidence suggests they may be two distinct species instead.
Taxonomists previously assigned them to both the raccoon family and the bear family, but DNA research later revealed that they belong to their own unique family (Ailuridae) and genus ( Ailurus). Red pandas, which grow to about the size of a house cat, are impressive acrobats that climb and swing on trees in their Asian forest homes, and they once sparked fierce debate about their relationship to giant pandas. Red pandas have shot to viral fame for their adorable looks, but there’s a lot more to these elusive animals than their kitten-like faces and striking reddish-brown coats. e00890., doi:10.1016/j. Population Trend: Decreasing About red pandas " The Endangered Red Panda in Himalayas: Potential Distribution and Ecological Habitat Associates." Global Ecology and Conservation, vol. " What is Driving the Increased Demand for Red Panda Pelts?" Human Dimensions of Wildlife, vol. " Habitat Correlates of the Red Panda in the Temperate Forests of Bhutan." Plos ONE, vol. " Red Panda: Facts." World Wildlife Fund.ĭorji, Sangay, et al. " Geographical Origin, Delayed Implantation, and Induced Ovulation Explain Reproductive Seasonality in the Carnivora." Journal of Biological Rhythms, vol. " Potential Mechanism of Detoxification of Cyanide Compounds by Gut Microbiomes of Bamboo-Eating Pandas." Msphere, vol. " Retrospective Analysis of Mortality in the North American Captive Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) Population, 1992–2012." Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, vol. " Status of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Red Panda of Nepal." PeerJ, vol. " Comparative Genomics Reveals Convergent Evolution Between the Bamboo-Eating Giant and Red Pandas." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzzle and a ringed tail. The red panda ( Ailurus fulgens ), also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. " Red Panda Nutrition." Red Panda, 2011, pp. " Characterization of the Gut Microbiota in the Red Panda (Ailurus Fulgens)." Plos ONE, vol. " Genomic Evidence for two Phylogenetic Species and Long-Term Population Bottlenecks in Red Pandas." Science Advances, vol. " Tracing the Origin of the Panda's Thumb." The Science of Nature, vol.